Time for Lillies
by fightindog
Summary: What is the catalayst for Clark to finally leave Smallville. Could it be as simple as Lillies for a friend? Where will it take Clark and who will he become.
1. Smallville

CHAPTER 1:

Getting out of his truck, Clark couldn't remember the last time he felt so free and ready for the next step in his life. He had finally got over the angst of Lana and he was slowly coming to terms with the awful feeling of "Destiny". Today he was going to tell Lois that she was more than a friend to him, he didn't know what she was to him, but she was more than a friend and he needed to let her know.

He had been there and helped her get over Oliver and she had been there for him, as he worked his way through the fact Lana was engaged to Lex. Maybe it just needed some pretty ugly things to happen for him to finally realize he needed to deal with it and grow up and that one of the most important people in his life was the bossy, annoying, beautiful, sexy, kind-hearted, intelligent and wonderful Lois Lane.

He had rung her a couple of hours ago and asked if he could met her at her apartment around 6pm. She sounded a bit distracted but she eventually agreed to meet him at 6.

Clark had spent the last couple of hours getting ready and mentally rehearsing what he was going to say to her about where he had come from, how he feels about her and how she makes him feel good about himself and who he is. He just knows that she is the only person who sees him as just Clark Kent. He had even taken the time to write a note and pick a fresh bunch of white lilies for her.

Nervous as anything but finally knowing he needs to take the next step in their friendship he walked into the Talon and climbed the stairs to her apartment, taking deep breaths to give himself courage. Smiling to himself he decides to let himself in and give her a surprise. Grabbing the door handle he opens it wide with a big smile on his face and stops dead unable to comprehend what is happening in front of him.

Lois is lying on her couch wearing only her underwear, which would be a good thing if only Oliver wasn't lying on top of her, kissing her, wearing only his boxers.

Clark is standing there stunned not knowing what to think or do and all the fear and loneliness he thought he had finally started to resolve crashed back into him. Feeling like he has been standing there for a lifetime, yet could only be seconds, he feels, in slow motion, the flowers falling as they leave his hand. Lois and Oliver are so wrapped up in each other that they do not even hear him. Pulling the door he feels a tear start to run down his face as he lets go the door and walks down the stairs, knowing that this will be a picture he will never be able to erase from his mind.

Looking around he sped out as fast as he could and raced away, for once letting the tears fall, as he feels safe from prying eyes.

CHAPTER 2:

Feeling his lips on her she was lost. Knowing that here was a man that she could love forever if she could only get past his disappearing and continual fabrication of the truth. Within him she was sure was a man that could be someone to walk the path of life with and who would not try and stop her from achieving her dreams.

Having literally bumped into him as she left the Talon to pick up some milk for Clark's visit she couldn't believe that she was now in a serious make-out session with the delectable Oliver Queen.

"Oh sht, Clark," she thought to herself as she put her hands on Oliver's chest and pushed him back off her a bit so she could breath. Looking around she frantically looks at the clock and sees it has just gone 6.02.

"Oliver, Clark is coming over and we need to stop", she says as he continues to bite on the side of her neck, causing tingles to run down her body.

"Clark's a big boy, just call him and tell him you are busy and reschedule. Its not like anything is going on with you two is there?"

"No, nothing like that, he just wanted to come over and talk and after all the crap he has been putting up with Lana and Lex who can blame him."

"Well I am not getting up, as you, my sexy Lois, are a very comfortable bed, so just give him a call," he says, reaching down to the floor to find her cell in her jean pocket. Lois stares daggers at him and then shoves him off and sits up. For some reason, which she won't think about right now, she doesn't want Clark to see Oliver and her like this

Standing up she picks her jeans up off the floor and looks for her top. Thinking back she remembers Oliver and her fumbling to open the door as they kiss, before crashing into her apartment as Oliver slides her top off her as the door closed behind them.

Walking towards the door she stops, stunned, as she sees the lilies lying on the floor by the slightly ajar door. Her breath catches in her throat as her mind goes blank, "where had they come from".

Seeing the card and desperately hoping they are from Oliver she takes one look at the writing and knows they are definitely not from Oliver. With trembling hands she opens the card . . .

_Dear Lois_

_I walked as though there was no road_

_Of which I'd take to turn_

_You held my hands oh so cold_

_You knew I had to run_

_I never trust I never see_

_The pain left from the past_

_The foolish me I could not begin_

_To forget it not that fast_

_A little smile, your lovely eyes_

_You took it all to understand_

_My foolish moods, my silly broods_

_You gazed and took my hand_

_Another smile, another laugh_

_Chances, they are a few_

_I take the road, I take the turn_

_and there's no one there but you_

_Thank you for being in my life and being my friend._

_Clark_

Turning around she can only think "I need to talk to Clark, now!" Racing over she grabs her cell off Oliver and dials Clark's number.

"Pick up, pick up, come on Clark pick up", she whispers, already knowing that he won't answer.

"What's wrong?" asks Oliver

"Hang on", she replies waiting for Clark to pick up his phone

"Hi, this is Clark, you know the drill, leave a message after the beep . . .

"Hey Clark, its me, give me a call, I found your flowers and want to thank you, hope you are alright and . . . Clark give me a call . . . please, we need to talk, please . . ." not knowing what else to say she hangs up her cell and prays he will call her back soon so she can explain.

"What's wrong," Oliver repeats

"Somehow between you and I arriving and now, Clark left me these lilies. They certainly weren't here before we came in so when did they arrive and what did he see, and where the hell is he now"

"Why does it matter, we are adults we can do whatever we like and it has nothing to do with Clark what you and I were doing. If he did see anything who cares, Clark just has to get over the fact that you and I are back together." Oliver said a little grumpy that she seemed to be more worried about Clark than being nice to him.

"Because Clark has been having a really tough time lately and the last time we talked, I mean really talked he was feeling lonely, with Lana being with Lex, Chloe in Metropolis all the time and his Mum being away so much. I am the only person he has been talking to and if you were any sort of friend to Clark you would know that he has a morbid fear of being alone." She snapped at him.

"Friends, Clark and I were never friends, he was always too worried about how I was treating you and always giving me some sort of attitude," he replied, "and he continually seemed to want to try and interfere, how a farm-boy could be so self-righteous is beyond me regardless of what he can do, and why on earth would you care whether Clark is lonely or not? Let him find some buxom farmgirl to date and then he wouldn't be lonely anymore."

"Don't be such an ass," she snapped, "Clark is always there when everyone needs him but who the hell is there for Clark right now?"

"What I want to know is why you are so upset that Clark might have seen us kissing on the couch?"

"I am not upset about that, I am upset about the fact he rang and asked if he could come over at 6 and I was making out on the couch with you and totally forgot about him. What sort of friend does that make me?"

"So you really aren't upset that you and I might have been caught making out on the couch?" he whispers in her ear, as his arms encircle her naked waist.

"No," _'Liar'_ her mind yelled, "I wouldn't have been making out with you if I didn't want to," she whispered back as she pushed her head to the side to allow access to kiss the side of her neck. This is what she has wanted with Oliver for a long time and this time she was not going to let it get away because of Clark or anyone.

CHAPTER 3:

Clark sat there, wondering if he had ever felt more alone in his life. What did he have for himself? His mom had her job, Lana had Lex, Chloe had the Daily Planet and Jimmy and the one person he really wanted to talk to more than anyone was with Oliver. Closing his eyes he listens to the rhythm that has been his balancing focus over the last couple of weeks, since he realized that Lois was more important to him that he had ever realized.

Blushing, he quickly stopping listening when he heard her racing heart and could hear her moans. Feeling like a stalker he slowly allowed his heart and soul to harden against all the pain he was feeling. If he was destined to be alone then now was the time to get used to it and stop wanting so many people to be there for him.

Now wasn't the time to start worrying or brooding but now was the perfect time to start his training, when everyone that had an emotional hold on him had something or someone in his or her life. Sadly smiling to himself he finally understood what Jor-el meant by _"you will live with them but you will never be one of them"._

Walking into the only place he had ever called home, he remembered all the great times he had had as a boy growing up with such loving and strong parents. His father had made the ultimate sacrifice to bring him back from Metropolis and this was what ultimately cost him his life. How could he now throw it away brooding about what couldn't be. It was time to be a man and find out what that meant.

Taking some photographs to remind him of the people he was about to leave behind, he slowly closed the door behind him and looked up into the night sky and wondered if he would ever look at these same stars in the same way ever again.

Remembering the words his father had told him once, he finally smiled as he remembered it so vividly as if it were yesterday.

"_Clark, if a person keeps getting up after they fall then eventually they will stand there proud against the ravages of time and lesser men and they will know that they have beaten the toughest opponent in life – themselves. Clark that is when you can call yourself a man."_

Taking a deep breath he sped into the dark night . . .

CHAPTER 4:

The next morning, Lois found herself driving into the Kent's farm. She could admit to herself that she was more than worried about Clark after both Chloe and her had received no answer or reply to their numerous voice and txt messages.

Knowing that Clark would normally be sitting in the barn brooding, she marched into the barn and up the stairs ready for whatever she was about to face. To her surprise it was empty and looked like it had not been visited for a while. Little did she know that since Clark and her had been getting closer he had not felt such a need for solitude.

Shaking her head at her assumption, she turns around and heads back down the stairs and walks towards the house.

Suddenly a scream rings out "Clark, oh my God, Clark" from the house. Knowing that voice anywhere Lois runs into the house, shuddering to think what she is going to see. She spies Martha sitting on the floor clutching a piece of paper with tears running down her face. Not knowing what else to do Lois crouches down next to her and pulls her into a hug and slowly takes the piece of paper from her hands.

_Mom,_

_It is time, I wish there was more time for me to say goodbye and I just don't have the words to say goodbye._

_Since the first day I saw Dad and your loving faces smiling at me I knew that I would be loved and safe. You have taken me as far as you can on this journey that has allowed me to mature into the person I am today but I need to find the man inside. _

_I am lucky that I have had one of the greatest role models in how to be a man in dad and I will always remember your words and his behavior and I will make you both so proud of me._

_If anyone cares just let them know I need to do this and now is the best time. Everyone has got so many opportunities in front of themselves right now and I need to find my destiny and try and work out where I fit, but most of all, I need to allow myself to feel proud of myself._

_I love you mom _

_Love Clark_

_P.S. Tell Lois that I hope her and Oliver will be happy and I am sorry for walking in without knocking._

Lois feels her heart sinking as she realizes that Clark is gone. "Leaving her, how could he leave her? Because how would you feel if you walked in on Clark and someone half naked?" her mind asks, "Oh my God Clark I am so sorry, please don't leave us, we need you", but all the time she knows it is too late. Clark has gone and she knows that a part of her has gone as well . . .

CHAPTER 5

_5 years later . . . _


	2. Metropolis the beginning

CHAPTER 5

_5 years later . . . _

Lois had never felt more hassled than she did this morning. How hard could it be for a cab to go the right way and not get caught in traffic, even after she had told him the best way to go he went his own way, bloody typical. To top it all off, her coffee was cold after being on the phone to Bruce for the last 20 minutes in a bad reception spot which meant she was walking around and stopping every time the reception kicked back in. How much worse could this damn day get and it hadn't even started yet, she wondered.

Walking into the reception area of the Daily Planet she ignored the group of women standing around talking. Unlike them she certainly had work to do.

"Lois, hey Lois, have you seen him yet?" Amanda asked as Siobhan and her stood in the way of Lois stopping her from getting into the front door of the bullpen.

"Have I seen who?" she snapped, attempting to get by them without seeming rude, eventually giving up when she saw they really wanted to talk. There was no reason to annoy anymore Daily Planet staffers, especially ones who worked in the gossip section of the newspaper, and had tongues and pens that were recognized as "sharp".

"The new reporter that Perry is interviewing, Oh my God, he walked through to Perry's office and seriously Lois there isn't a women in there under 50 who wouldn't take him home right now. What a glorious hunk!!! Have you heard anything about who Perry is interviewing or anything?" Siobhan pleaded.

"Lois if you know anything you have to tell us, not all of us are in long-term relationships with billionaire playboys and this one we need to know if he is off the market and if he is fair game we need details, like now!" Amanda half yelled.

"Sorry girls, this one is news to me. The last couple of reporters Perry interviewed where not up to the mark. I thought he had stopped trying to find a new reporter and we were just going to cover each other", she replied, "Anyway as if you need details, Amanda you are a male's dream, there isn't a man alive who wouldn't want to date you" Lois laughingly replied as she looked up and down the 5'8", slim yet curvy, natural blonde who could only be described as beautiful.

"Lois, this just isn't any male, you wait, you just wait until you see him, I guarantee even you will be like WOW, even on a purely appreciate non-sexual way," Amanda grinned back at her.

"Well girls I have to get going, good luck in netting this one", she laughed as she pushed her way through the door and walked towards her desk.

Lois took her time getting to her desk so she could see into Perry's office without appearing to be too interested. From the back all she could tell, was he was big, his sheer size nearly dwarfing the chair he was sitting in and he had black hair that seemed to be very well cut. Being interested in spite of herself she had to admit that big men who were well groomed had always been a weakness of hers. Laughing to herself she reminded herself that she was currently dating a big, well-groomed billionaire and he wouldn't be happy for her to be perving at someone else so she sat down at her desk and starting to track down her sources for the day.

CHAPTER 6

Perry was looking at Clark Kent amazed that this could be the same kid that he had met in Smallville all those years ago. That kid had been a teenager who was like a big puppy with feet too big and a body that didn't seem to fit him and who could change from self-deprecating boy to tough-guy hero in seconds.

This man, and that was the only word Perry could attribute to Clark Kent, was very different. His voice was deep and strong with a self-assurance and conviction that was very rare in this day and age. His wire-framed glasses did little to hide the intelligence shining in his dark blue eyes. The biggest difference though and one that slightly unnerved him if he was honest was the stillness. Clark Kent had the ability to just sit there without fumbling or excess movement that you just never saw in big men. Perry was suddenly reminded of a picture he had seen of a hunting leopard. Clark Kent looked like a predator sitting at ease but more fool you if you believed he was at ease.

Perry couldn't believe that Chris King was really Clark Kent. Ever since he had taken over the editor's role at the Daily Planet, Perry had been following the articles written by Chris King. Over the last three years Chris King had become renowned around the world as a freelance reporter that went after the hardest stories and wrote them up in a manner that took no prisoners but never ever gave the reporters opinion. Facts always presented in a scrupulous and hard-hitting way was the forte of Chris King. He had won a Pulitzer for the Bosnian conflict, one Kert for Global Warming and the deforestation of the Amazon by big business and another Kert for the Eastern European slave trade in young girls for use in European brothels, apparently that one had him as a target by the Russian mafia. He was fast becoming one of the most read reporters in the world with many global newspapers taking his reports.

Two weeks ago after giving up trying to recruit a new reporter Perry had taken a chance and emailed Chris King to see if he was interested in a role at the Daily Planet, never expecting a reply. 30 minutes ago he had been sitting at his desk when reception rang through and informed him, that "A Mr Chris King is here to see you, but he doesn't have an appointment would you like me to reschedule him?".

Perry had nearly broken his leg getting through the bullpen in a hurry to get to reception before Chris King took off again. Walking through the door he could see a man chatting with the receptionists and his first thought was "Armani model", and looking around thought "so where the hell was Chris King".

"Sophie, where is Mr King," he growled.

"I'm King, but you know me better as Clark Kent, Perry," the Armani model laughed as he turned and put out his hand.

"Kent is this some sort of joke,"

"No, I took the name Chris King so I could write the stories I wanted to write without putting anyone who I loved into danger and to allow me to have the freedom to express myself without interference from external influences", Clark replied, keeping his hand out.

Perry took his hand and shook it vigorously, "Come on in Clark and lets see about that interview".

Opening the door to the bullpen he watched as Clark smiled down at Sophie and told her that he hoped she had a great day and that she had a beautiful smile. Looking at Sophie, Perry was certain that she was going to be dining out on this story for quite some time.

As they walked through the bullpen Perry was getting the distinct impression that Kent was someone he definitely wanted working at the Planet. The men suddenly looked like they knew the top dog had walked in and all the women were suddenly tidying up their hair. The biggest laugh of all was Clark Kent just ignored it all and walked through the bullpen into the office without looking around.

Yep, Clark Kent was definitely different.


	3. Metropolis the meeting

CHAPTER 7

Lois had her head down trying to find the link between the Mayor's office, big business and the sewage scandal when Perry's bellow overtook the bullpen's hubbub.

"Lane," he yelled looking around for her. Catching her eye he continued in a slightly softer tone "Lois get over here and into my office, I have someone I want to introduce you too!"

Amanda came racing over, "remember Lois, we want details, mainly is he single and what he is like", she hissed before pretending she was on her way to the coffee machine in the corner.

Smiling to herself and thanking her lucky stars that she wasn't single and going through all that crap she marched across the bullpen and into Perry's office.

"Lois, can I introduce you too . . ."

"Hello Lois," Clark interrupted, smiling and looking down at Lois. Internally laughing when he saw the stunned look on her face.

"Um . . . hello Clark, OH MY GOD CLARK, its been so long, you look amazing, what have you been doing, when did you get so tall, why are you wearing glasses?", she stammered not knowing what to say. 'Shut up Lois, just shut up right now", she thought to herself.

Leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek, Clark realized that for once in his life he had Lois at a disadvantage and smiling hugely at her he gave her a kiss and then pulled her into a hug. Lois could feel his body under her arms and the only thought that was racing through her mind was that somehow Clark Kent had gotten smoking hot and if she wasn't mistaken there was some serious muscles underneath that expensive Armani suit.

Letting her go, Clark stepped back and put his finger on her lips as she was about to start asking a million questions again. "Lois, we have all the time we need to catch up, I have agreed to work for the Daily Planet, so there will be a lot of time for me to answer all your questions, ok?"

"Hire you?" Lois sounding shocked looked at Perry, "since when did Clark Kent become a reporter and since when did we hire him"

"Clark Kent has been writing under the alias of Chris King for the last three years and he is becoming one of the top reporters in the world so we want him at the Daily Planet, and as of 5 minutes ago, he agreed and we have hired him, end of story Lane," Perry growled at her.

"Oh My God, you are Chris King, you are my idol," Lois gushed, hating the way she was sounding, just shut up Lane just shut up now before you look like the biggest airhead in the world in front of Clark.

Clark burst into laughter, "idol, you have an idol and it's me, but you didn't know it was me, oh this is too rich to be true, next you will be telling me that you write the gossip at this newspaper. Come on Lois, I know you, the only idols you have are world-renowned people who make a difference, not reporters who just do a job."

Perry stood there watching Lois act so out of character he was amazed. Where was the hard-nosed, tough, beautiful, clever woman who was without doubt his best reporter and who was this brainless bimbo who looked like she had never seen a man in her life. Perry just knew that this was going to be his greatest ever signing for the Daily Planet.

"Well Lois, Perry, I have to get going, I promised my mum that I would visit today and I will see you tomorrow, bye." Clark said as he shook Perry hand and gave Lois another kiss on the cheek and walked out the door leaving both Perry and Lois standing there looking at each other.

Lois's mind was racing, "Clark Kent was hot, Clark Kent was hot, Clark Kent is so tall, Clark Kent has become a man. Oh my God I have to ring Chloe, since when did Clark Kent become anything but a brooding farm boy who had some many boy issues it wasn't funny. I wonder if he is dating anyone? Since when did Clark Kent become a tall, beautiful, man with a voice that sends shivers down a girls spine and looks you square in the eye when he talks to you. Hell when Clark was a teenager he either looked at your feet or at the side of your head so he didn't have to look in your eyes. This Clark Kent looks you square in the eye when he talks and you just know he is talking to you, not wondering what you look like naked"

"How the hell do you get all that Lane in just 2 minutes of being with the man", she snorted to herself as she slowed her racing mind.

Walking out of Perry's office she was suddenly stopped by Amanda and Siobhan, who took an arm each and dragged her off to the coffee corner. "So spill Lois, who is he and what can you tell us about him?" Amanda asked.

Lois had no idea what to tell them.


	4. Metropolis Phone call

CHAPTER 8

"Hey Chloe, it's me. . ."

"Hi Lois, what's up?"

"Oh nothing much, just that bloody CLARK KENT is back and is working at the Daily Planet as of tomorrow." Lois yelled, "What do you know about this?"

"Nothing, I promise you Lois I know nothing" Chloe sounded surprised "Mrs Kent hasn't said anything to me about him coming home. I know that she has been so worried after only hearing from him a couple of times in the last year. You know he hasn't replied to any of my letters or been in contact with me so why would you think I know about his movements?"

"Well you do work for his mom so that has to give you some insight into what he has been doing."

"All I know is that he has spent his time traveling and 'finding himself'. Why do all men seem to think they need to find themselves, I mean really, why can't they just have a look and hey presto there they are, they seem to be fixated with finding that part of themselves", Chloe peevishly said.

"Honey, lets not go into your Jimmy angst, just because Jimmy took off for a sabbatical is no reason for you to get all pissy with men."

"Fine!!! So how is he, Clark I mean?"

"Hard to describe, but Amanda said it better than I can", Lois replied and putting on a simpering voice said "Lois, this just isn't any male, you wait, you just wait until you see him, I guarantee even you will be like WOW, even on a purely appreciate non-sexual way."

"What does that mean?"

"Chloe, Clark has changed, he is still Clark but he has like grown up and seems different. Hell, I tongue-tied and sounding like a moron because he now seems so 'cool'. I was certainly not expecting Clark to be there, seemingly so composed and looking so damn hot."

"This is the Clark Kent who you once described as boring, moody, unkempt, clumsy, annoying and interfering?" Chloe laughing answered

"Yes, that Clark Kent."

"Well I always thought he was, to use your term, damn hot so what's changed? And why are you, an involved woman, ogling another man, regardless of hot he is. My, my what would poor old Bruce say about this," Chloe burst out laughing.

"Just for that Chloe, you can find out for yourself. I am telling you, once you get a look at Clark then you will be calling me and I will be listening to you once again going on about how much you want Clark Kent." Lois grumpily replied.

"Lois, listen to me, Clark and I are never ever going to be like that. I accepted that fact years ago. We make much better friends and I now know that I am better suited to someone, like Jimmy, who loves me as much as I love them. I don't want to be the one in a relationship that loves more than the other. That is just way too painful. I wish Jimmy would bloody find himself and come back, I miss him so much."

"Honey, Jimmy will be back soon and everything will be ok, trust me on that. He knows what he has with you and he wont put that at risk. Even men like Jimmy aren't that stupid."

"I know, I know, but I still miss him . . ."

"It will be ok, Chloe I promise . . . hey! I better go, I promised to phone Bruce and then I am going to grab a long hot soak in the tub preparing myself for tomorrow."

"Take care Lois, bye"

"Bye hon"


	5. Metropolis ruminating

CHAPTER 9

Over the next couple of weeks, Lois kept a close eye on Clark. In the beginning, she told herself, it was because she wanted to see what sort of person he had become, but lately, if she was honest with herself, she loved to watch him move and interact with people.

He could slip between groups of people like a dancer without bumping anyone and was unfailing nice and calm with everyone he came into contact with. One thing she had noticed was there was a point he would not go beyond when interacting with people. During the first week, different woman had asked him out on dates. He had refused all of them in such a manner that they still all thought he was a nice guy. Not once had he made them feel uncomfortable for asking or gave them the impression that they were wasting his time. It always amazed her to hear them talking about what a great guy he was and how lucky the woman he ended up with, was going to be.

The sad aspect to her was, apart from herself, there was no one within the Daily Planet staffers who would consider themselves to be his friend or who knew very much about him. She was the only person he seemed to genuinely make the choice to spend time with. No one came in during the day to have lunch with him, he never seemed to get personal calls and he genuinely didn't seem to worry about it. Lois was concerned, as no one, especially someone who used to be such a great friend as Clark, could survive alone. Sometimes she remembered his greatest fear growing up and she meant to bring it up with him but it never seemed to eventuate.

Lois had come in early today to put the final touches to her expose on the total mismanagement of Metropolis sewage by MetroSewage . She sat there wondering what story Clark was working on. Since coming to the Daily Planet he had been given an open license to work on any story that captured his imagination. The agreement between Perry and Clark was that he would write about Metropolis issues using the by-line of Clark Kent but when reporting on major issues he would continue to use the by-line of Chris King. The only stories published since arriving were finishing pieces on current projects and were all under Chris King by-line. Lois knew that Clark had the first of his Metropolis articles in action and so far she had been unable to tease the subject out of him.

She knew that Clark and her were slowly coming back to that place in their lives when they had been friends, but sometimes she wanted to know what was going on in his head and life. They seemed very comfortable when teasing and bantering back and forward, but when it came time to discuss a personal issue in depth, then she would be the one that backed off to keep the conversation going. Clark had been interested but not surprised that Oliver and her were no longer together but he seemed uncomfortable with the fact the Bruce and her were currently dating. The one time she had pushed him to discuss what he seemed to have against Bruce, he had excused himself from the conversation and she hadn't seen him for the rest of the day.

At times looking in his eyes she could see an unfathomable depth in the dark blue but she didn't know what that depth was hiding and he was quite adept at changing the subject. To say it annoyed her was to put it simply, but if she had learnt anything about Clark Kent, it was, if you pushed him to find the answer to a question about himself, he would resent it and she certainly didn't want him resenting her.

She had talked to Chloe and Martha about it but they were no use at all. Chloe was of the opinion that Clark was still Clark but that opinion was worthless seeing she had only caught up with him once in Metropolis and she had never been able to see that anything was wrong with Clark anyway. Martha just told her that Clark was in the place he had to be right now and he needed friends that just let him be. Laughing to herself, Lois had to admit that just letting someone be, when she thought he was hiding something or should be sharing, was one thing she was absolutely useless at. She just knew that with Clark she had no choice and when he was ready he would share with her.

Looking up she watched Clark walk through the doors, feeling her stomach flip and her breathing stop for a second as she stared at him. He was wearing a pair of tight fitted faded jeans with a skin-tight black polo t-shirt on. His black jacket was slung over his shoulder with well-worn black boots seeming to offset his dark sunglasses and wind swept hair.

She heard a sigh come from the two desks next to her and without looking she just knew that Amanda and Hannah were watching the same thing she was watching. Feeling a spike of jealously, she couldn't stop, that anyone else but her was admiring Clark she wondered when he became so gorgeous. She had to admit to herself that she thought Clark Kent was seriously one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen.

"Hi Lois, how are you this morning?" Clark asked smiling at her.

"Hi gor-Clark, um . . . I'm great" she replied, thinking 'get your mind into gear woman, this is Clark – remember farm-boy plaid Clark, your "friend" Clark.

"Is Perry in yet?" Clark asked looking across the room into Perry's office.

"Yeah, he came through here a couple of minutes ago. What do you want him for?" Lois asked, not really interested but wanting to keep the conversation going and keep Clark standing in front of her. 'You are going to hell, thinking those thoughts about him Lane', she thought to herself.

"One of my sources in Afghanistan has finally got a point of reference on a person I have been wanting to talk to for quite some time. Hopefully this will be the time I run him down and can finish the article I have been writing on the reemergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan," he replied smoothly "Well I had better tell Perry I am heading out for a week to finish this story," he threw back over his shoulder as he moved towards Perry's office.

"God he has a great butt" she heard Amanda murmur from her left and following the comment all she could think was "Hell yeah!"

She could see that Perry seemed less than enamored of the idea but she could also tell from the set of Clark's shoulders that whether Perry liked it or not he was going. Shaking Perry's hand she watched as Clark left his office and waving goodbye to her he called, "see you later Lois," and walked out the bullpen.


	6. Afghanistan the legend begins

CHAPTER 10

Clark was furious, absolutely livid and fighting to stop himself from killing the man standing in front of him. How could humanity be so unfeeling and callous in regards to itself? The red haze in front of his eyes he was only keeping at bay due to his upbringing and the one thought he was tenaciously hanging onto. "_The taking of human life is never free and the cost for crossing that line is a piece of your own humanity". _

He wasn't even human and he didn't want to cross that line but he had never been tested as hard as he was right now.

He had arrived in Pakistan two days ago and had wasted no time in tracking down his source. Ahmad and he had got together and decided on a course of action to interview Imam Fariz, a high-ranking Taliban and religious leader.

Fariz had agreed to meet up with them in the foothills of the Afghanistan/Pakistani border. Having to keep Ahmad with him had necessitated he took the long way, so hiring a jeep they left Lahore and headed towards the meeting. The meeting itself had been one that Clark had been attempting to facilitate for over a year and it would put the final nail in the coffin of the arms manufacturers who were underpinning the return of the Taliban. To the arms manufacturers, putting the Taliban back in charge in Afghanistan, would mean that Afghani tribesmen and the US Military would expend enormous amounts of money and armaments to get them out again. A win-win for the arms-manufacturers but one that Clark was going to stop if he could.

Imam Fariz had been an easy interview, his opinions were so framed in ideology that without being aware he let slip the Taliban's advance and which companies were funding them and the arms companies they were buying their armaments from.

Sometimes it helped that Chris King was syndicated, as everyone liked to think they were going to be 'famous' or 'in-famous' as the case may be. This interview had given Clark the answers and facts he had needed to complete the story. Clark could never understand how companies could sell armaments to foreign interests, surely knowing that their own national troops would be the recipients of said bullets and arms. This was certainly a case where the greed of humanity was self-destroying.

Clark and Ahmad were both happy to have finally accomplished their goal and smiling as they left the make-shift camp to head on back to Lahore.

Hearing the sound of gunfire, Ahmad slammed on the brakes and looked to get the jeep into the trees and bushes on the side of the road. Jumping out of the jeep, Clark told Ahmad to stay with the jeep and he ran towards the sound. Once outside the view of Ahmad, Clark sped towards the gunfire, arriving as the last of the bullets slammed into the bodies of a score of tribesmen and their families. They had been shot with their hands tied behind their backs.

Charging at the men who had conducted the shooting, Clark sped amongst them removing their guns and slamming his hand against their heads to knock them out. Dragging them along the ground one by one he moved them into a group and tied them up with their belts and shoelaces.

Stunned and knowing there was nothing he could do for the dead tribesmen he went into reporter-mode. Knowing that right now bringing these killers to justice was more important than anything. He scanned with both x-ray and sound to see if any tribesmen were alive but hearing nothing he knew that he had been too late.

The tribesmen and their families had been lined up, made to kneel and been shot from behind so they could fall forward into the hastily dug pit in front of them. The grave looked like it had been dug by the tribesmen and Clark could only imagine the anguish of digging your own grave and knowing that your chance of surviving was nil.

The men who had conducted the shooting were European looking, with a standard set of gear that looked military or ex-military. They were probably hired mercenaries but with very modern arms and explosives that the general type of mercenary could not afford. Their hummer jeeps looked new and were well armored against anything less than 55mm shell.

Clark walked towards the dead tribesmen and the sight that meet him caused tears to start running down his face. He could see where a mother had tried to get in front of her child to protect her but the bullets had raced through her body and killed the child. The places where the parents had fallen together with their hands desperately fighting against the ropes, trying to find their children was heart-breaking. Their wrists scored by the ropes in their desperate need to protect their children.

Stepping down into the pit, Clark started to lay the families down with a sense of dignity, breaking their ropes easily and crossing their hands in front of their bodies. The grave was too small so he grabbed a shovel and quickly created a deep square grave that would allow all the tribesmen to lie in death with a dignity that had been denied to them. Working his way along the grave he attempted to lay husbands with wives and children with parents. He had no way of knowing if he chose right but he consoled himself to the fact that they would be near their loved ones.

Moving to the end of the grave he rolled a woman over and stood there, not able to move as more tears ran down his face. The woman had been holding twins and the bullets had raced through her back and chest and pierced both twins. The twins could only have been a couple of weeks old and they were so little and precious. Clark lay the mother down and placed a twin within each arm and cradled them into her chest. Stepping out of the grave he looked down at all the dead people and knew that someone had to pay for this atrocity but knowing that these occur regularly in this world and the world will ignore it.

Hearing the sound of a group of cars coming in the distance, Clark sat down to await the new arrivals. In a swirl of dust, four Pakistani army jeeps and a hummer very similar to the ones already in the clearing arrived. Stepping out of the jeeps the Pakistani soldiers looked upset to see the grave and shocked to see the dead tribesmen inside.

"Who has tied my men up?" a strident voice demanded.

Clark looked over to see a dark-suited European man step down from the Hummer and replied with a very dark edge to his voice, "I did."

"Who the hell do you think you are," the man stalked up to Clark, who stood up to tower over him.

Ignoring the man, Clark turned to the officer who had arrived with the Pakistani soldiers and in Persian asked, "Are you in charge here?" when the officer nodded, Clark continued "these men tied up over there, murdered these tribesmen, without mercy and I am willing to testify that in any court of law."

"Sir I am sorry but that cannot happen as they have diplomatic protection of their consulate," replied the officer.

"WHAT!!!!, how can that be, they murdered these tribesmen without any compunction."

"Because they are exactly 1 mile into Afghanistan territory and we have no jurisdiction here and these embassy staff have diplomatic immunity in Afghanistan."

Looking back at the now smirking man, Clark could feel the rage starting to build. The man took a step back realizing exactly how big Clark was and he could feel the anger radiating off him. Clark was now fighting to stop the red mist descending for the first time in his life feeling so powerless to right a wrong he was seriously thinking about killing. Surely removing the bad apples can save the good ones, but if I do that then I am no better than them, they don't deserve to live, they have killed and will never be brought to justice. Thinking of the dead twins, Clark moved forward and grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him effortlessly off his feet and dragged him forward until he was 2 inches from his face.

Clark spoke in a calm voice that was far more frightening due to the lack of feeling, "I will find out who you are, who you work for, what your purpose here is and I can guarantee that there is no rock under which you and your employers can hide. Nothing will stop me from exposing you to the world of good men and I will bring you and your evil to an end. This I can guarantee if it takes the last bit of strength and breath in me."

Shoving the man away from him Clark watched as the arrogant prick flew across the clearing and smashed into a tree, for once not caring about his injuries. He stalked over to the tied up soldiers who had woken up and had been watching this tabloid in fear. They could only see a man who looked a lot more dangerous than them, with a face full of anger and knew that here was a man who if he so desired could kill them all.

"You men are a disgrace to humanity. Today you have committed an atrocity that will go down in the annals of history as one of the most gutless acts to be witnessed. It is obvious you were once soldiers but now you are cowards. The world will know you are cowards and I will ensure that you are never seen by even your loved ones as anything remotely like a man or heroic," Clark whispered to them, as they strained to hear what he was saying but each could hear it as clear as a bell.

Walking towards the men, Clark quickly went through all their possessions, removing passports and any forms of identification and slid them into his pocket.

"Undo these men", he said to the officer and looking at the mercenaries he said, "and now you are going to cover this grave and then each of you individually is going to say a prayer out loud for all of us to hear for the safe journey of these souls. Trust me if you do not you will join these people in death but I will not bury you, I will leave you by the side of this clearing for the vultures and wild dogs to eat and to warn other cowards that this will no longer be acceptable."

Standing there with a face of anger Clark watched as the men did exactly that. The mercenaries started to become more frightened as Clark's face slowly started to get colder, his features became more chiseled and none of them were brave enough to look anymore into his dark blue eyes as there was no other word to describe Clark except implacable.

Clark knew that now was the time for a symbol for humanity. Jor-el and he had discussed it but he had never seen it as necessary but now it was time for a symbol that the people of the world could use for hope, justice and for humanity to stand up and demand no more. Clark knew it was time for the people's champion to rise.


	7. Metropolis the most important thing

CHAPTER 11

Lois Lane sat there re-reading the article that had arrived via news lines 20 minutes ago. The world newspapers and online media were starting to place the story on their front pages across the world. A first-hand view of a modern day atrocity by one of the most respected journalists with nothing left out was what in media circles was considered a "slam-dunk". It was going to fill several broadsheet pages but she didn't think too many papers would be editing any copy from this article.

For once the Daily Planet's bullpen was silent as all the reporters read Clark's article on the atrocity in Afghanistan. She could feel the pain and anger in his words and without the awful subject she knew that this could possibly be Clark's finest article.

Clark had been gone nearly 4 weeks when the article arrived. He had obviously not wanted to do it piecemeal; it was clear he wanted the world to know it all when they read the article. Lois knew that people were fickle and this story did not deserve fickle. The background work needed on this story was staggering. Lois just wished she could have been there to help him.

Clark had collected names, family history, army history, country of origin of the mercenaries and had written each of them as pitiless killers that had started out as small boys until the time they stood over defenseless people pulling the triggers. He spared none of them with his hard-hitting factual account of their lives. For once his lack of hyperbole gave the facts a black and whiteness that she knew she could never copy. There was no sympathy for them in his account.

The man who led them and ordered them to create this atrocity was demonized by the bare facts. For this individual, anyone reading the article could see, here was a man with a pitiless cowardly soul.

The words coward and gutless were used like weapons to vilify these men.

Clark had followed the trail all the way back to Philla Industries, one of the biggest arms manufacturers in the world, with dealings in so many areas of business. Clark had tracked down and found written evidence of the order to create anarchy in the area to allow the Taliban access to Afghanistan. He had demanded action across the world against Philla Industries by international Governments.

Clark had found out the history of the tribesmen and their families and had written about them as individuals to humanize the account. The part about the mother of the twins had her crying as she tried to imagined Clark's pain as he lived through it.

It dovetailed perfectly into his story about the advancement of the Taliban and the breakdown of law and order in Afghanistan. Railing against the ideology of ignorance at the cost of humanity. It was powerful, compelling and life changing to those who would read it. People would not be able to pretend or hide from the suffering of the innocents in the pursuit of profits. The sheer human cost was clearly outlined and those responsible were shown for what they were – cowardly and pathetic.

She could only imagine what this had done to Clark.

Hearing a clapping starting to come from the front of the bullpen she looked up and saw Clark standing in the door. The clapping swelled but Lois couldn't clap, she knew this was the worst thing to do for Clark. She quickly got up and started to walk towards Clark. Seeing the anger on his face and never ever, not even when Alicia was killed, had Lois seen a look of such fury on Clark's face.

Moving swiftly to Clark, she raised her hands to his face and slowly brought his face down to look at her. "Just, look at me Clark, just look at me, don't react, don't think, just look at me," she whispered for his ears only.

The clapping died as the bullpen realized the effect it was having on Clark.

"Clark, come with me," never taking her hands off his face, Lois started to walk backwards towards the nearest conference room. She was so scared for him seeing the fury in his eyes but way more scared at the huge depth of nothing in the back of his eyes.

"It's ok, just look at me, just look into my eyes, Clark." She was not going to back down from this, her friend was in agony and no one but her was here right now to help him. Reaching behind her she opened the door and walked in taking Clark with her. Pushing the button by the side of the door to bring down the curtains, she closed the door.

She reached around Clark with her arms and put her head down on his chest, not sure what else she could do. His body felt like steel and his arms were staying by his side as Lois started to rub up and down his back and repeated over and over "Clark it's ok, they didn't mean anything, it's ok."

Slowly, oh so slowly, Lois felt Clark's body change as he started to breathe again. His arms slowly came up around her and she felt a sob deep inside his chest. His arms tightened almost painfully around her, but she was not going to complain, because he needed this. She could feel the sobs start in his chest and she just knew that tears were falling down his face. She pushed her head back and pulled his head down into her neck and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace. Feeling Clark sag down she moved down to the floor with him and cradled him in her arms as he started to cry into her shoulder. Stroking him as he repeated over and over "I couldn't save them, I couldn't get there in time, I failed them," her heart breaking at the sheer sense of helplessness she heard in his voice.

For a long time Lois held Clark, wondering why this felt right and why being here for Clark seemed like the most important thing in the world she could do.


	8. Metropolis partnership

CHAPTER 12

Two months, it had been an incredible two months, since Clark's article was published on the atrocity in Afghanistan. The following whirlwind of activity had kept Clark and Lois incredibly busy tidying up loose ends, tracking down the whereabouts of the culprits and keeping readers informed to the current status of warrants and arrests across four continents and three worldwide companies.

Perry had decided that Clark couldn't do it by himself and that Lois was the ideal partner for Clark. Their work partnership was working well with Lois taking no credit for the stories written by Chris King and Clark leaving the by-lines of Metropolis to Lois. To the outside eye they were seamless together. The only issue that seemed to crop up was Clark suddenly disappearing without letting Lois know where he was going. This had caused a several arguments with Lois accusing Clark of not sharing his sources with her, but in the main it was working well. No partnership ever started smoothly Perry kept telling himself.

Since that day, Lois and Clark had become so much closer. Without saying anything they both knew that in the other they had found a person they could trust in to get through the worst. They had both let their guard down in the privacy of the conference room and Clark had been able to share with Lois the pain and helplessness he had felt during the whole event. Lois had been spell-bound listening to Clark talk, about the event, with more detail than the newspaper article. She was sure there was even more to it but she would never push Clark to share again.

Lois had told Clark how proud she was of him and how his parents, especially his dad, would be enormously proud of him. Lois had shared with Clark about times in her life when she had felt helpless especially in regards to Lucy and the General.

The biggest joy for Lois was seeing the life slowly come back into Clark's eyes. Seeing the glint back in his eyes that she normally saw, when he looked at her, gave her a feeling of happiness and something else that she wasn't ready to analyze.

Lois could admit to herself that sitting against the wall with the entire side of her body tight against his and holding his hand was a memory that she would treasure. She had never been a person comfortable for others to be in her personal space, but with Clark, it just seemed natural.

The bullpen was busy and loud when they left the conference room and Lois was grateful that her co-workers allowed them the privacy to walk to her desk and grab her things and walk out for lunch. She thought that for once Clark wouldn't have been an object of appreciation.

Then two days after that, reports started to come in across Metropolis and the world of a super-hero. He could fly, seemed to be invulnerable to fire, was incredibly strong and could travel so quick he was a blur. He would arrive at a tragedy and without discussion would save a life, rescue the situation or provide hope to rescuers. The world media had started to call him a superman due to the big S on his chest and cape. No one had managed to get a decent photograph of him and as of yet no one had spoken to him. It seemed Superman was a hero that wanted to help but was not doing it for publicity.

Every reporter and media outlet in the world was desperate to grab the scoop on Superman. The Daily Planet had a full-time team trying to track him down but no one apart from the crazies seemed to have any information on him. . .

"Lois, are you going to be much longer, we are going to be late," Bruce called through the door, jolting Lois out of her daydreaming.

"Give me 5 and I will be out, keep yourself occupied, you could always watch Oprah on TV," she laughingly called back.

"Oprah, you have got to be kidding . . ." she heard him mutter as he wandered away from her closed door.

Lois finished her make-up and stood up to take a critical look in the mirror. Tonight was the Triumph ball to celebrate and raise money for the underprivileged. Bruce, Lex and Oliver had created the Triumph Charity and Trust a year ago and it had been wildly successful, raising money and resources for the underprivileged across the world. It certainly helped that they were all young, handsome billionaires in charge of three of the biggest corporations in the world. With muscle like that behind it, the charity was always going to succeed but this success was undreamt of with many of the world's wealthiest individuals contributing to the charity.

She knew that tonight was important to Bruce so she had pulled out all the stops. The tight red dress was figure hugging with a tight bodice that showed just enough cleavage. The mid calf length skirt was demure until she walked, then the long slit up the side showed off her long legs to mid thigh. She knew that the killer part of the dress was the back with the dress being cut low to finish just above her butt.

Taking a deep breath, she laughed as she noticed the effect on her chest. She was going to have to make sure she didn't get out of breath or the world might just get a free show. Grinning hugely to herself with the thought she opened the door and went to meet Bruce.


	9. Metropolis triumph feeling

CHAPTER 13

Clark had not wanted to go to the Triumph Ball, but between his mother and Chloe hassling he had finally said yes. He just didn't want to argue the case anymore and it would make them happy. His feeling had intensified when he got into the Limousine and saw that Chloe had brought Jimmy and his mother had brought Lionel. Why would they have invited him with one ticket if they were bringing partners?

He had been quiet in the car, listening with interest to the interplay of the four individuals in the car. They obviously spent a lot of time together, with Chloe working for his mum as her communications officer. The close relationship he had had with Chloe had become distant as their lives moved in totally different directions. He would always have her as a friend but she was no longer a confidant. When he had found on his return that his mom had moved into a serious relationship with Lionel, he had stepped back from the deep relationship he had with her previously and now they were close but there were aspects he would not share with her. "How strange that the one person who I can share everything with, well nearly everything, turned out to be Lois", he thought to himself. Thinking of Lois he smiled and then thinking of Bruce and Lois together he brought down the shutters on his emotions.

Chloe for her part didn't know how to relate to this Clark. His face, which used to be open and friendly, had become chiseled and hard. His blue eyes made her uncomfortable when she looked into his eyes. She had guessed he was Superman, Clark wouldn't confirm it but she knew, who else could do what he could. She was starting to wonder which part of Clark was Superman and which part was Clark.

Lionel had alluded to it last week when Chloe had overheard a conversation between Martha and Lionel. Lionel had been trying to convince Martha to talk to Clark about the difference between hard and strong. Hard was brittle but strong was enduring seemed to be the message Lionel was trying to get across. Chloe couldn't agree more, at the moment Clark just looked like a very hard and dangerous individual. "The world might just have created the hero we deserve," Chloe thought shivering.

Clark noticed the shiver that ran through Chloe as she turned her face away from looking at him and knew that he needed to lighten up, otherwise everyone's night was going to be ruined. Thinking of some stories about his travels he started to get everyone to smile by telling them the story of how he had helped save the rare baby penguins, well he thought they were rare at the time.

The beautiful wildlife officer had convinced him that they were rare and needed to be looked after before they made their own way back to the sea. He had them laughing when he told them about sleeping rough for two nights in the bush, keeping predators at bay, how a stoat and weasel could be classified as a predator he didn't know, and considering he never saw one he should have been suspicious. Making them roar with laughter as he described coming over the hill with the penguins towards the sea and finding thousands and thousands of the same penguins on the beach and the saucy wildlife officer smiling at him.

Feeling the energy reinvigorated in the car Clark once again slipped back out of the conversation, but this time kept a smile on his face.

He was becoming quite adept at the games people play. During his travels he had seen all facets of humanity but the one that continued to occur that he felt so disheartened over was the duplicity of people when they want something. The drive in people to steal, kill, cheat, trick and lie to get what they want was difficult to accept. He knew that within humanity there was a huge capacity for good, he had seen it over and over and those people were the shining lights of humanity. During a natural disaster humanity could raise up above it's petty individual concerns and create love and hope for the lost.

"Lighten up Kent you morose bugger, its time for a party and to listen to inane social chitchat and to stare at beautiful women, who you never have to talk to, perfect night." He laughed to himself, "tonight you are just Clark Kent, a reporter for the Daily Planet, nothing more."

Getting out of the car, he looked up at the old central railway station that had been refurbished into Metropolis's Art Gallery and conference centre and thought, "how bad can this be?"

Walking up the stairs as a group they entered the ballroom where the elite of society were dancing and talking around the room.

Looking around the room, Clark just knew he didn't want to be here and then his eyes stopped as he spotted Lois across the room. She was achingly beautiful, everyone else in the room seemed to fade away as he looked at her. Everything about Lois sang to him, he had fallen hard for her 5 years ago and since coming back the feelings had not diminished but gained in an intensity to a level that he couldn't believe. Seeing her, being with her, laughing with her, sharing his life with her even just as a friend made him feel complete. He loved her with every fibre of his being and a touch from her was enough for him to feel accepted. No one knew and no one would ever know as he had accepted years ago that he was destined to be alone.

He watched as Bruce Wayne came up to Lois and put his hand down low on her back and kiss the side of her neck. Lois looked up at Bruce and laughed at his comment and smiled at him. At this moment Clark could quite gladly have thrown Bruce Wayne through the back wall of the ballroom.

Chloe who had been standing next to Clark had been surprised to see Clark's face change and following his eyesight realized he was looking at Lois. His face softened, his eyes sparkled, his whole demeanor changed and for an instance Chloe saw the enormous depth of love that Clark had for her fiery cousin. "Oh my God, does Lois know that Clark feels like this?" she asked herself and then she knew the answer when she saw his countenance harden again and looking over at Lois she watched the interaction between Bruce and Lois.


	10. Metropolis lilies revisited

CHAPTER 14:

Lois had never been a great fan of these types of events, but had to admit this one was for a good cause so she was going to make a huge effort to have fun. Looking at the members of their group she was relieved to have made the effort to buy this dress as she certainly didn't look out of place with Lana and Dinah's ensembles.

Lex and Lana had gotten married four years ago and Lois for one could not believe the change in Lex. He seemed to have changed his approach to so many things and didn't consider every comment to be the starter for a challenge or game. Lois knew that LexCorp had been involved in very unsavory incidents, not the least being genetic experiments, but after his marriage and birth of their first child, Lex had been very public in the removal of all aspects of improprietary from LexCorp. Even Lois would say that LexCorp was now a respectable multi-national company, though she would never be naïve enough to not know that all major businesses have unsavory aspects to them.

After her short "fling", there was no way she was giving it more importance than that, with Oliver, he had met Dinah in Star City. Lois always called her the 'blonde bombshell' as there was something explosive about her. Oliver certainly followed around Dinah and Lois knew exactly who the boss in that family was. "Maybe that was why Oliver seemed so attractive to me," she thought, "he would have done whatever I wanted." Knowing that she would have been bored out of her brain with such a non-challenging partner she laughed listening to one of Bruce's jokes.

Bruce Wayne was Bruce Wayne, rich, gorgeous, big, successful, funny and he made her laugh. There was a lot about Bruce that she didn't know but she never pushed. He could be dark and moody but if she was honest with herself she didn't want to dig too deep and she wasn't that interested in getting him out of his moods. For now, at this stage in her life, the relationship was fun, uncomplicated, and had mutually beneficial terms. She was a partner when Bruce needed one and he was there when she needed to offload to someone. "And the sex is amazing," she reminded herself as he came up and put his hand on her back and kissed her neck.

"Penny for your thoughts or should I just pay you later," he whispered in her ear.

"Sexy, you can pay me later and that's worth way more than a penny," she flirted back with him and laughed out loud as she turned back to the group conversation.

"Look Lex, there they are," said Lana as she waved to Martha, Lionel, Chloe, Jimmy and Clark. Martha waved back as her group started to walk across the floor towards them.

Lois looked up and felt her familiar reaction to seeing Clark. He was seriously gorgeous in a tuxedo and he made her heart beat faster and she felt the butterflies dancing. When she caught his eyes looking into hers, she suddenly felt quite faint. 'Lane, you are going to have to face up to this soon, because being around Clark is pleasure and pain, you are going to have to look at these feelings,' she snorted to herself, 'yeah right, Clark is just going to dig that Lois Lane is into him.'

"Who is the tall man, next to Senator Kent?" asked Dinah Queen in a seriously husky voice.

"That's just Clark," answered Oliver in a slightly pissed-off tone, "She is Senator Kent's son."

"Yes, that's Clark, the teenage heartthrob of Smallville," joked Lana.

Lois was a bit taken back at the tone of their comments but chose to ignore them as they arrived and introduction were conducted across the group.

"So, Clark what's been happening in your life? Lana asked as she took a hold of Lex's hand "It's been like 5 years since most of us saw you."

"Well, after leaving Smallville, I spent a couple of years wandering, meeting different people," Clark glanced at Bruce "and getting an education from different cultures and their views on life. After that I decided to continue seeing the world, but decided to make a living being a freelance reporter and writer until I received an email from Perry White at the Daily Planet who asked if I wanted a job. I thought about that and decided to come back home and to be more settled. Now I am Lois's partner at the Daily Planet." Clark replied calmly.

"Are you still bringing lilies and poems to girls doors?" Oliver asked with a slight smirk on his face.

"No," Clark replied with a smile on his face.

"What's this? What is he talking about Lilies and poems, Clark, you didn't bring me Lilies and you certainly never wrote me a poem?" Lana laughing asked.

"Well you see, back when Clark was all yes ma, no pa, farm boy like and was the plaid king," Oliver replied, "Clark came to visit Lois when I was there, and no my dear I am not telling you what I was doing at Lois's, we found a bunch of lilies and a poem by the door left there by Clark. We had a good laugh at that didn't we Lois?"

"You did, I didn't find it funny at all", snapped Lois.

"I know what you mean Lois," Lana piped in, "after I found out that Clark had been spying on me with his telescope for years I was kind of freaked out and it certainly wasn't funny. Being liked by Clark back then was the most dangerous part of living in Smallville."

Everybody who had been part of that upbringing and knew the dangers of living in Smallville burst out laughing, but both Lois and Chloe could see that Clark wasn't finding the teasing of him to be that amusing.

"Well things have changed a lot since then," smiled Clark "now if you will all excuse me I have a couple I promised to catch up with early tonight so I will see you all later." Looking at Lois, who got the distinct impression she had disappointed him, Clark walked away towards an elderly couple sitting down in the corner.

"What was all that about Oliver?" snapped Lois as she spun to face him, "Why would you bring that up, you know that's hurtful to Clark."

"Oh come on Lois, you know it was funny and as you are quite aware Clark is a big boy and he can handle it."

Before she could continue the argument she felt Bruce's hand on her arm and looking up at him she noticed him barely shake his head, she acquiesced knowing that this was not the night to bring up her anger with Oliver. Once the conversation started up again, Chloe made her way over to Lois, after seeing the look on Clark's face when they walked in Chloe was now ready to investigate what was going on between the two of them.

"Lois, that's an amazing dress, you look sensational."

"This old thing, it was something I found in the back of the closet."

"Liar that must have cost Brucey boy a fortune."

"Are you saying I am not worth it" Lois smirked. "What's on your devious mind Chloe, there is no way you are going to be admiring my dress without an ulterior motive?"

"How's Clark?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? I am just asking how he is?"

"No you aren't, you want to find something about Clark. Just ask me Chloe and I will decide if I am going to tell you or not. What do you want to know about Clark?"

"um . . .is he dating anyone?"

"No, and you are not seriously trying to find out if Clark is involved with anyone. For pete's sake Chloe he came to a ball by himself, what does that tell you."

"Ok, Ok, how do you feel about Clark?" Chloe bluntly asked.

"We are friends, partners and confidants as you are well aware Chloe"

"No Lois, I mean how do you feel about him, do you love him?"

"Chloe, that is none of your business but the answer is no and if you have forgotten I am dating Bruce" Lois replied throwing a glance over her shoulder to where Clark was sitting but stopped talking as she saw Clark looking straight at her as though he had heard what she had said saying and there was no emotion on his face at all.


	11. Metropolis Legend revealed

CHAPTER 15

Standing up on the stage with the dignitaries for the speeches, Lois looked around for Clark, she really wanted the opportunity to sit down and talk to him. For some reason she couldn't get the feeling out of her head she had disappointed him. She knew she was being silly but when it came to Clark she was learning to go with her gut feeling and not her head. The way she had handled him at the Daily Planet had all been her gut instinct and not something she consciously thought.

Listening to Oliver droning on was boring her to tears; so glancing around she attempted to find Clark in the crowd. 'righto Lane, instead of where's wally we are going to play where's clarkie, hell every guy in here is wearing black so it ain't going to be easy.'

As her eyes were drifting over the crowd she noticed that not everyone was looking at Oliver, she couldn't blame them as he was going on a bit but something wasn't right. She watched one of several men make his way to the outside of the crowd and seemed to be waiting for something. Like a light going off in her head she knew what had seemed out of place. All the men were without partners.

Suddenly a gunshot rang out and a voice boomed out "ATTENTION PLEASE!!! Excuse me for interrupting but please pay attention to what I am about to tell you, stay calm, don't move. Stand still where you are right now and my men will not harm anyone."

Looking around Lois counted at least a dozen men with shoulder-slung uzis standing around the walls of the room. Turning around on stage she tried to slip back through the group of dignitaries. She stopped as she realized there were another half dozen men standing behind them on the stage. Looking back down she saw the man who had spoken step out to the front of the stage.

"Luthor, Wayne and Queen it is a pleasure to finally meet you, I have been wanting to make your acquaintance for quite some time. To have you all in the same place at the same time is fortunate how lucky can a man get. Would you mind bringing yourselves and your lovely partners down to join the rest of your admiring, sycophantic public."

The armed men behind them moved forward and escorted them down off the stage and across the floor to join everyone else in the middle of the ballroom. Lois could feel the barely held panic in the crowd as she joined Martha and Chloe, giving them a smile to try and keep their spirits up. She had no idea what was happening but she was concerned that she couldn't see Clark anywhere near.

"Everyone, please sit down where you are," one of the men ordered in a loud voice. If Lois didn't know any better, that voice had ordered men before, "just like a Sergeant-major," she thought.

"What do you want?" Lex demanded in a loud voice as he stood there, "You will never get away with this, release us now and stop this."

"Luthor, sit down and shut up or we will make you sit down and shut up," the leader calmly stated. Lex continued to eyeball the leader and showed no indication he had any intention of sitting down. One of the men behind Lex, walked up and calmly hit him over the head with his gun. Lex fell to the ground stunned. "Now, Luthor do you want to join everyone else or do you want to be lying her permanently?" the leader asked with his gun leveled at Lex's head. Bruce put his hand down and helped Lex to stand up and brought him over to sit down next to them.

"Now everyone sit down, get comfortable and shut up, we are going to be here for a while."

Everyone finally sat down becoming quiet. Lois put her hand onto Bruce's arm and was surprised to feel the tension in his taut muscles. He shrugged her hand off him and when she looked into his face realized that right at this moment Bruce Wayne was analyzing what was happening and looking for angles, she had seen the "look of eagles" in the faces of her father's elite troops when they were put into dangerous training situations. What did Bruce possibly think he could do? she wondered.

Looking across at Oliver he seemed to be in the same mindset as Bruce but the biggest surprise to Lois was Dinah Queen. On Bruce and Oliver that look weirdly seemed to fit but on Dinah it just looked explosive. Lois could see this had all the makings of a disaster. "No one do anything, can't you see how calm they are?" she whispered harshly, "these guys are pros, let's see what they want before anyone does anything stupid." They all seemed to ignore her but she did notice the three of them seemed to get less tense.

Without warning the window behind the stage exploded as a red and blue blur erupted through the space. Lois was unable able to keep her eyes on the blur as it smashed into each of the armed men, disarming them and flinging them back into the walls. In under a couple of seconds all the armed men where lying unconscious and the silence was broken by a loud clatter as the weapons fell from the air into a pile on the stage.

Looking up from the pile of weapons, Lois saw a man, he was stationery in the air, framed by the broken window he had smashed through, spotlights from the building's exterior silhouetting him against the dark night sky. He was just floating there, similar in pose to a man standing on the ground, feet spread, shoulders back, chest up, hands clenched into fists by his sides. His eyes were glowing red as the pile of weapons slowly started to melt. In all her life, Lois had never seen a more majestic person. He was clad in skin-tight blue, with red boots, pants and cape. His enormous chest was covered with the symbol of an S inside a shield. The red cape hung down from his shoulders. His muscles were clearly delineated under the blue and he didn't have an ounce of fat on him. His entire presence radiated power, strength and majesty.

He floated down to the melting pile of weapons, took them into his hands and crushed them. Floating up in front of the window he looked back, his dark blue eyes blazing in anger and everyone could hear him say in a very deep voice "No more, there will be no more." Then without any further warning he disappeared in a blur out the window and the only sound that could be heard was a sonic boom.


	12. Metropolis The aftermath

CHAPTER 16:

Lois gasped, her hands coming to her mouth she knew that voice and she knew those eyes. She had seen that anger before, in those dark blue eyes, she had locked eyes with those eyes to draw the anger out of them. She turned to look at Martha and saw the answer her mind couldn't quite grasp. Martha's eyes were shining with pride and she had a single tear running down her face. Keeping her eyes moving, Lois picked the recognition in Chloe's face but the two faces that shocked her, the most, were Bruce and Oliver. They both looked satisfied.

"Satisfied, what a strange look to have, and what are they satisfied with? What answer have they just received? What do they know about this? Where was the danger to Clark here? There is no-way anyone is hurting Clark if I have anything to do about it" she thought. Lois decided instantly to say nothing or to indicate to anyone that she had recognised anything about the man she had just seen. This needed to be sorted out between Clark and her without anyone else knowing. Bruce and Oliver she would deal with in her own time.

The room was silent for at least 10 seconds before Bruce took charge. Getting men to grab each of the disarmed men and drag them into a group in the corner of the room. The police were called and informed of the situation and in a very short time order was restored. Everyone in the room was talking about the magnificent man they have watched save them from a possibly deadly situation.

Lois started to interview people to ascertain if they had seen anything different. Each person basically told the same story, albeit from different parts of the room, every adjective was used to label the man who they now realized was the elusive Superman. Lois got each person to describe what his face looked like, but she realized that everyone saw the majesty, symbolism and power but not the man, which was a huge relief to her. She needed to talk to Clark and she needed to do it soon.

"What the hell was he thinking, why didn't he just wear a mask like that psycho Batman from Gotham." She thought. Finally it hit her "Oh my God Clark can fly, what else can he do? I knew there was something different about him, but flying, must have been those bloody Smallville meteor rocks" she grumbled then she thought, "Clark can fly how friggin hot is that? Right now Clark Kent if you only knew how turned on I am right now you would be killing yourself laughing. How am I going to manage to deal with this now, before he was hot now he is incandescent? Clark Kent you are going to be the death of me" she grinned and went to try and interview some of the handcuffed men.

Lois finally had enough information to write the story about the evening and she needed to get home to access her computer, write the story and send it in for the morning edition. She looked around for Bruce and saw him coming towards her.

"Lois, have you finished, the police said we can go," Bruce inquired as he took her by the elbow and started to lead her towards the door.

"Yes, let's go," subtlety removing her elbow from his grip. Lois walked in front of Bruce towards the door, missing the look that came over his face. Bruce had know for a while, actually ever since Clark turned up, that he was losing Lois. Bruce had to admit that if he was going to lose Lois at least he was losing her to Clark. Bruce wasn't sure how much Lois knew but he hoped the eventually Clark would tell her and explain how they had met.


	13. Japan Bushido

_Information on the Samurai and martial arts have been taken from the book, "On the Warriors Path, philosophy, fighting and martial arts mytholody" by Daniele Bolelli._

_Thank you for all the reviews, this is the first fan fiction I have ever written and the characters and story is alive in my head. Keep enjoying and the moment I get off track and it gets boring – let me know. I have the final scene written so how I get there is the journey. - FIGHTINGDOG_

CHAPTER 16:

Sitting in the car with Lois and giving up trying to start a conversation with her, Bruce settled back into his seat and watched as she started to write notes in her notepad "How did she get that thing into that small evening bag she had with her", he wondered, "seriously Bruce how can any man know how a woman gets that amount of crap into her handbag."

Bruce knew that the time to split up with Lois was soon. She was in love with Clark but hadn't accepted it yet and Clark definitely needs someone in his life that loves him. Soon he is going to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and he won't survive that alone. I know the pressure affects me, but he could destroy us all if he has to try and survive alone. The world needs Clark Kent to have real stability in his life or I might be the only person to keep him stable. "Imagine that, Batman keeping Superman stable . . . the world already thinks Batman's a total nutjob", he laughed to himself.

"Bloody hell being friends with Clark can cause a man to have headaches trying to think around his convoluted sense of naïve honour", he thought to himself. Bruce's feelings for Lois were complicated, he loved spending time with her but after dating her for nearly two years he had never told her about Batman and she had not devolved that deeply into his psyche. That alone told him exactly what the state of their relationship was. He didn't think either one of them was so attached to the other that they couldn't let go. "Dammit I am going to miss the sex, Clark you have no idea how lucky you are going to be," he smiled to himself.

Bruce could clearly remember the first moment he had seen Clark Kent. It was four years ago and Bruce had been standing behind his fellow students in the dojo when a tall western teenager had walked through the door with Master Musashi. The boy's blue jeans, blue t-shirt and red jacket had made him stand out very clearly against the master's black gi.

Without words, as "empty" words were banned from the dojo, the master indicated to the boy to remove his boots and jacket and to join the class. Standing amongst the students, Bruce felt resentment that another westerner had come into this environment, but looking at the boy he was confident the boy would quickly fade away out of the class as so many others had previously. He knew the western boy couldn't be without potential if the master was accepting him as a student, so Bruce would wait to see the boy's response to his initiation at the end of the class.

After his disappearance from Gotham, Bruce had spent the last 2 years searching the world for the best martial art instructors he could find. Each time he thought he had found what he was searching for, the flaws he perceived with their approach or philosophy would disappoint him and he would search again.

Three months ago he had travelled to a small village in Southern Japan to learn the ways of the Samurai from Miyamoto Musashi, allegedly a re-incarnation of the soul of one of the most famous samurai's in Japanese history. Unexpectedly Bruce had found a master he could respect who followed the old ways of the Bushido.

To Master Musashi there are things for which it is worth losing everything; things that are worth more than fame, more than power, more than any kind of wealth; things that separate normal human beings from those individuals whose will cannot be broken by external events. Two swords and a set of armor don't make a Samurai. Not even great martial skill and membership in a renowned family of warriors is enough. It is not a question of technique or heritage. A samurai is one who forges his spirit according to the ways of Bushido.

To understand the ways of Bushido, Bruce had had to lose his western opinions on honour. Bushido is the soul of the Samurai, the vibrant heart that instils power into his action. No "buts" and no "ifs", Bushido has no patience for exceptions. A Samurai doesn't forget. He doesn't ask for anybody's help, but is ready to tame storms for those who give him their trust. The person who holds out a hand to help him, gains an ally willing to die to return the favour. Betraying one who has given him their heart is not an option for a Samurai. His word cannot be broken. He is the embodiment of a depth of feeling. He is the symbol of integrity, the power and the beauty that are accessible to any human being who has the courage to be faithful to oneself.

After three months he was finally attaining the sense of self to move behind the physical nature of the fighting to develop the sense of the unconscious. "The journey begins by going within", he was continually told but it had been a hard battle to let go the inner rationale that controlled his movements. Weirdly the answer had not come from more hard work or even meditation but by getting rat-arsed drunk.

The master had sat with Bruce and proceeded to get Bruce drunk. Using wiles and the ability to pour the drink in the plant next to him the master had stayed sober, whereas Bruce just got drunker and drunker. Once Bruce was very drunk the master started to slap him. Bruce kept trying to defend himself and to retaliate but was unable to hit or to defend himself with anything remotely looking like skill. Being unable to follow the bondage of his rational mind Bruce had let his mind go. He started to move with natural unthinking grace; every time he seemed to lose balance he recovered at the last possible moment and counterattacked in unpredictable ways. His body moved without conscious control of the mind. It was the first time he was able to do this. Bruce's goal was now to find that state of mind at will. One of his most treasured possessions was a written parchment given to him after the night of drunkenness by the master. It was a saying by D. T. Suzuki.

_Archery is, therefore, not practiced solely for hitting the target;_

_The swordsman does not weird the swards just for the sake of outdoing his opponent; _

_The dancer does not dance just to perform certain rhythmical movements of the body._

_The mind has first to be attuned to the Unconscious._

Looking at the boy getting ready for the initiation Bruce could see no fear, it was like the boy either didn't believe it would hurt or didn't mind if it did hurt. He would learn as Bruce had to learn that the way of the master was nothing if not adaptive. Each student had a 6 foot bamboo rod in their hands and stood in two even lines, 7 feet across from each other.

The boy was blindfolded and placed at the beginning of the line. Bruce listened as the master told the boy to walk down the line as far as he could go. The boy walked into the space between the lines, the first two students hefted the rods in their hands and without warning hit the boy, one in the stomach the other behind his knees. With a grunt of pain the boy went down on his knees holding his stomach. The only sound that could be heard was the breathing coming from the boy.

Every prospective student would take the first blow so Bruce was not surprised to see the boy get up and step forward. This time the blows were simultaneously across his back and he was flung off his feet, without any noise the boy got up and stepped forward, this time the blows coming didn't seem to faze him as much as he seemed to roll with them. Bruce was surprised; maybe there was more to this boy that he had thought. The next few steps were taken with blows being treated the same way. The boy was on his toes and at the moment of impact was able to offset the energy of the blow so it dissipated over his entire frame not the hitting zone.

The boy stopped and took a deep breath and seemed to be centring himself. He had two more student stations to approach before he was out of the gauntlet. Bruce had never seen any student get this far. Bruce himself had pulled out after seven zones, his body and mind unable to take the next step and that had been considered a worthy feat. Stepping forward the boy came into the eighth hitting zone, Bruce watched intently as the two students swung and both missed completely as with a casual movement of his body the blow aimed down onto his shoulder and the single leg sweep were avoided. For the first time the class made some noise as all the students in unison chanted "bushido".

"QUIET!!" roared the master.

Bruce standing on the last station had not expected to be used so had been more intent on watching that preparing the blow he was to land. He decided that instead of a swinging motion he would jab to cut down on the noise. The boy stepped forward into the ninth hitting zone. The student on the other side swung at the boy's face and it was easily avoided. Bruce waited until the boy took the next step to move out of the hitting zone before lunging forward to slip the tip of his rod between the boy's legs from behind. Bruce was expecting the rod to trip the boy up but was totally unprepared for what actually happened. As the boy's thigh on his trailing leg smashed into the rod, Bruce found it flexing in his hand and the amount of power shocked him and he was forced to let the rod go before he was flung across the room.

"BUSHIDO, BUSHIDO" the chant started from the students as the boy removed his blindfold and turned around and bowed to the master. Bruce was impressed and joined the chant.

"QUIET" roared the master and the silence was instant.

Walking down the gauntlet the master looked into the boy's eyes and whatever he saw there seemed to make his mind up as he bowed to the boy and walked off. "So we are all accepted," Bruce thought to himself.

Over the next few months Bruce and Clark struggled to become friends. Even though they were both Americans and spoke English it was not enough, as that was the only things they had in common. Their upbringings, views, belief in the nature of men were diametrically opposed.

The way they fought within the dojo clearly outlined how they viewed life. Clark would allow a downed opponent to get to their feet to continue sparring, whereas Bruce would ensure a downed opponent was beaten before allowing him to get to his feet. Bruce's greater skill, aggression and warrior mentality clearly made him the best fighter within the dojo. Clark's ability to reach a state of unconscious thought and to be singularly focussed made him the most difficult opponent in the dojo.

Their attitudes to each other started to change the last time Clark and Bruce were sparring partners. With both men refusing to give up and each unable to get the other to quit it turned into a vicious stalemate. Finally the master had had to step in to stop the fight and both men had looked at each other with new respect.

After that they had started to find common ground. They discussed fighting techniques, philosophy, ideals, goals and the nature of evil and its many guises and slowly came to find they actually had many of the same views but came from totally different approaches.

In the other man they had found a kindred spirit and brother. As they both opened up to each other it became no surprise that their attitudes, mannerisms and the way the handled situations slowly started to affect each other.

Clark would get angry over something and Bruce could see that Clark would swallow the emotion and accept it. Bruce taught him that the emotions he kept repressing needed to come out and Clark should use those emotions in a manner he could control. When the anger was shining in Clark's eyes he became unbeatable during sparing sessions. They worked on Clark's ability to drop into the tightly control anger state unconsciously during times of stress and fighting. He still thought Bruce a bit weird with a moody personality or "personalities" that could tempt a saint to anger but he genuinely admired Bruce and enjoyed spending time with him.

Clark renewed Bruce's faith in people. He had distrusted and looked for the worst in each person he met. The resentment he felt when Clark arrived was a small part of how he reacted when he felt people were taking something that was his. Bruce would always have darkness inside but Clark helped him to understand that that darkness should be channeled for the fight against injustices and evil.

Clark had also made him realise that there were good people who needed help and that a person can only be a man if he followed a strict moral compass. Clark taught Bruce compassion and to look for the goodness in people. Bruce still thought Clark naïve and a bit "nice" but he admired Clark's capacity to never quit.

Clark, for the first time in a long time, explained where he had come from. Bruce was shocked to hear Clark had arrived from Krypton and had supernatural powers. He insisted on Clark showing him each and every one. He got a bit pissed off thinking that Clark had used his powers to avoid certain beatings but what could he do against someone who is invulnerable.

Bruce eventually opened up to Clark and explained what he was doing in his life, the reasons and what he eventually hoped to become. He wanted to place fear into those that cause fear amongst men, He wanted the Falcone's of this world to stop hurting innocence's and he wanted to do it his way. Most of all he wanted to find acceptance within himself for being unable to prevent his parent's murder. That was a demon that Clark was unable to help Bruce accept and Clark hoped that eventually Bruce would realise it wasn't his fault. If anyone knew about blame it was Clark.

The friendship they forged over that six months would always remain and they knew they would be able to count upon each other in times of trial. They became more than family they became Warrior Samurai with a bond that was unbreakable.

On his travels when Clark heard about the Batman of Gotham he just knew it was Bruce and he couldn't resist sending a single line email to Bruce that read: "A Flying Rodent?"

As Bruce sat there thinking and looking at Lois in the car he thought he might just send back a reply – "What's with the blue fetish?"


	14. Metropolis Revelation

CHAPTER 18

"4am, it's 4 in the morning, what the hell are you doing Lane? Can I do this? Do I really want to know the answers? What is Clark going to say?" Lois's mind was racing as she stood outside Clark's apartment door. "Toughen up Lane, treat Clark as an interview and get the answers you need to hear? How the hell does he fly? No thinking of him flying or all the other stuff I saw, that is just going to leave me speechless, bloody Clark Kent," she fumed.

After completing her article and getting it into the editor's for tomorrow's mid-morning paper, Lois had sat in her apartment and debated whether to confront Clark now or in the morning. Deciding valor was the better part of discretion she decided that this conversation would be better in privacy so had driven over to Clark's apartment and now found herself outside his door, debating with herself. Laughing quietly to herself she finally lifted her hand, took a deep breath knocked on the door and prepared for whatever.

Hearing him on the other side of the door she plastered a smile on her face and "Friggin hell", her mind went totally blank as he opened the door. Clark was standing there, glasses on, his hair messy and wearing nothing but long pyjama pants. "Fck, hell, God in heaven, look at those muscles, shit I thought Bruce was built but Clark, oh my god you are one beautiful piece of meat," Lois groaned to herself, "mmmmm I wonder what it would feel like to run my tongue up and down those abs. Mind out of the gutter Lane. Crap he is sexy beautiful. I knew there were muscles under that coat but they are not muscles, he is a demi-god, what would I give to look up and watch that working – WHOAAAA Lane, back off pull the girls home, what are you doing!!!!! mmmmmmm, bloody hell I want him to just kiss me and take me right now in this hallway, "

"Ah, Lois, earth to Lois" Clark said for what was obviously the second time, "Lois," he reiterated as he put his hands on her shoulders. "Lois are you ok?"

'Oh my God,' Lois groaned in her head as she felt Clark's big warm hands rest on her shoulders, "I can't stand it," she thought as she slipped out from under his hands and stepped back. 'God I have to ignore that look on his face right now, I can't tell him the truth that his touch makes my body scream or I am totally lost and this discussion will only have one conclusion and I am not ready for that,' she thought as she saw a shutter come down over his face with her action. "That is how Clark looks to others," she thought not liking the fact that Clark was using his friendly yet closed face on her.

"Lois, what can I do for you at 4am, in the morning? Is everything ok, is something wrong with Bruce?" he asked.

"Why would there be anything wrong with Bruce", Lois replied.

"Well you are still wearing your dress from the ball, you are standing at my door at 4 in the morning, sans Bruce and you look flustered and upset – ergo something has happened with Bruce and you?" he concluded smugly.

"No, Bruce and I are just fine," Lois replied but wincing internally when she saw Clark's eyes recede further from friendly. 'Hell Lane, you are an investigative journalist but around this man you are a complete moron,' she mentally slapped herself "Clark we need to talk and it couldn't wait until the morning, Can I come in?"

"Ok" sounding a bit unsure, Clark stepped to the side and allowed Lois to enter his apartment.

This close to Clark was torment for Lois, she could almost feel his naked torso rubbing against her arm as she slid past him and entered his apartment. It was like stepping out of the darkness into the sunshine and back into darkness. 'Girl you have one overactive imagination and you will go to hell if you keep thinking this about your friend.' She thought.

"Clark we need to talk about something serious, could you at least go and put a shirt on?" Lois asked with a faint blush on her face. 'don't blush, don't you DARE friggin blush Lane, please please please don't embarrass yourself in front of him'.

"Sure, put the coffee machine on and I will be right back," Clark replied as he looked at her oddly, 'what is up with her?' he thought to himself.

Taking her time with making the coffee and deciding how she was going to approach this was driving her nuts. 'Hell, I might as well just ask him outright,' she thought but then remembered that this was Clark and asking him outright was never the best policy. Taking both coffees with her she walked back into Clark's living room and found him, with a shirt on 'Thank God' sitting on a chair. Giving him a coffee and deciding she needed room from him Lois sat on the other side of the coffee table on one of the other chairs.

"So, Lois, what have you got to say at 4 in the morning that is so important it can't wait until the morning?" Clark asked with a slight smirk on his face.

Deciding they needed to start with something easy and not knowing what else to say Lois said the first thing that came into her head, always start an interview with an opening gambit to relax the subject had always worked best for her, "I'm sorry, I didn't defend you when Oliver and Lana were teasing you."

"It's ok, don't worry about it." He replied.

"No, I need to explain. I didn't find it funny then and I don't find it funny now, I never ever laughed with Oliver over the poem and flowers. I was concerned for you after finding those and I especially didn't like the thought that you might have walked in on Oliver and I."

"I wish, I had never walked through that door," he said quietly "it was unexpected, but its ok, it was in the past and was a totally different time for all of us."

"I should have defended you in front of everyone tonight and not left everyone with the impression I agreed with Lana about you frightening me, that is so far from the truth that it isn't funny," Lois said with a slight determination in her voice for him to understand, "Clark you will never ever scare me, no matter what!"

"I know that," he replied

"No Clark, you need to understand what I am saying, no matter what you have to tell me or what you choose to share with me you will never scare me and it will not affect my feelings or relationship with you," Lois firmly told him.

"Ok, why do I get the distinct feeling that there is more to this than that?" he asked. For the first time since he came back he was nervous around Lois and what she was after. It didn't help that she had brought up a very painful memory. Thinking back to that day always made him feel nauseous, it was like the image would mock him and his heart would feel so heavy. He purposely tried to never think of that image but every now and then it would hit him and it had the power to stop him dead.

"Clark, I promised myself that I would never push or ask, but I need to tell you . . ."

"Tell me what Lois?" after a couple of seconds of silence from Lois.

"Clark, I know it was you tonight" she answered staring right into his eyes.

"Of course it was me, I was standing there talking to you all, what do you mean it was me?" he replied but he had gone still.

"Clark, I know you are Superman"

"Superman, you think I am Superman, I was standing there in the crowd watching him, how could I be Superman," he laughed.

"Clark, I would know your blue eyes and your voice anywhere and you can deny it to me but I know you are Superman" she challenged.

Lois didn't think Clark was going to answer. His eyes stared into hers and she refused, for once in her life, to talk and break up a silence. She knew he needed to decide if he was going to tell her the truth or not and she was not going to push him, she had pushed enough and if he told her no, then she was not going to force it anymore. 'Clark, has to tell me or he is going to resent it, I can't ask him again or this could hurt our friendship and I am not losing that for anything.' She thought.

"What gave it away?" he quietly asked as he turned from her and went and looked out the window, his shoulders became rigid and his face because emotionless. Lois panicked a bit when she saw that, she certainly didn't like Clark closing off from her.

Walking over towards him and leaning against the window so her face was facing his profile Lois replied gently "Clark, nothing gave it away, I just knew."

Pushing his hand through his head and exhaling loudly Clark replied, "What do you want to know? You will feel differently about me when you know so think carefully about what you want to know."

Putting her hand on his arm Lois gently tried to face him up to her, "Clark look at me? Please. Don't shut me out, nothing will change the way I feel about you. You are my friend and that won't change, I promise."

"Friend" he whispered so softly she nearly missed it and in a much louder voice he turned to look at her and continued, "Ok Lois, anything you ask I will answer. Before you ask just let me say this, If we finish this conversation and your feelings have changed then I will not hold you to that promise."

"Ok, but know that I don't make promises unless I am going to keep them. Nothing you say will make me feel differently."

"We will see. What do you want to know?"

"How can you fly?"

Clark stood there for a while, looking at her. Lois looked back at him, smiling gently and was surprised that for once around Clark she was feeling no nervousness.

Clark turned back to stare out the window and starting to talk "I think that the best way to do this, is I am going to tell you everything. Please don't ask any questions until I get to the end. This is going to be very difficult for me to tell you so just let me finish and then we can talk. Ok?"

"Ok, but wouldn't it be better if we sat down?" Lois asked 'oh great Lane give him the impression that you think you need to sit down to hear it, great way to reassure the man your promise will hold'.

"You can sit, I prefer to stand, if you don't mind?"

"Ok, I am listening," Lois replied putting her hand on his arm to reassure him and kept her face looking at his profile.

"I am not meteor affected, if that is what you are thinking. I caused the first meteor shower, well I was the cause of both of them but the first one is the one where my story starts. Hush remember to let me finish," Clark said catching her inquisitive expression out of the side of his eye. 'God I love that look on her face, when she was in snooping mode she is so beautiful'.

Steeling his heart and soul against the pain he was sure to follow he continued, "I am not human, I was born on a planet called Krypton and sent to Earth in a spaceship by my birth parents. From what I know now, Krypton was a technologically advanced civilization that eventually destroyed the planet. My father, Jor-el, warned the ruling council of Krypton that they were in danger of extinction through their abuse of the eco-system but no one took his warning seriously. He asked permission to leave but this was denied. In secret my mother and father built a craft capable of interstellar flight and as Krypton imploded on itself, rocketed me into space on a trajectory to earth."

"The first meteor shower was the cover for my arrival in Smallville, we think I was aged about three in Earth years. To this day I am incredibly grateful that my parents found me and decided to bring me up. God knows where I would be right now if someone else had found me," he paused, "Probably have been dissected and displayed for the world to laugh at the alien," he continued sarcastically.

Lois kept stroking his arm and smiling at him, letting him tell his story in his own time. 'This is unfriggin-believable, Clark is an alien, well Lane you never saw that one coming, at least he isn't green' she thought, blanking her mind as he continued.

"In the beginning, my parents thought I was a normal boy, sure abnormal because I had arrived via space but normal in every other way. It wasn't until I was 7 that we started to find out I was different. I remember being so scared the first time I got frightened by a bull. I was crossing the field with Dad and the bull started to come towards us, and I freaked out and started to run. Dad said that one second I was standing next to him and the next I was gone. As you can imagine Mom and Dad were worried about me but they eventually found me naked and shivering in the woods, frightened and crying as I had no idea how I got there. I remember the feeling of relief at seeing them and then scared at what they were going to say. My mom, my awesome mom, got down on her knees and held her arms out for me and called me 'her special boy'. My mom could always make me feel ok, no matter what I did." He smiled to himself.

"After that, my abilities started to kick in. By the time you met me in Smallville I had most of my abilities. Back then I had superhuman speed, strength and power, was invulnerable to just about anything, had X-ray vision, could shoot fire from my eyes and I could hear everything all the time. Most of them were brought on by my emotions. I found out I could burn things with my eyes when my biology teacher was talking about sex, she had a very nice um . . . chest and I set her jersey on fire." he laughed, "that really freaked me out."

Lois could tell that Clark didn't want to look at her but she knew he needed to know that she wasn't freaked out, sure she was freaking but she wasn't freaked out. She slid her hand into his hand and squeezed gently. For a second she thought he was going to ignore her hand but suddenly he squeezed back and started to talk again.

"The first time you and I met in the field, I had just come back from one of Jor-el's attempts to control my life. That day I was Kal-el, a pure-born Kryptonian. Kal-el and Clark were two sides of my personality and during high-school the two sides of myself were often in conflict. When the pain of loneliness became too much I could hide into the Kal-el side of my personality. He doesn't care about people and in lots of ways I wanted to be like him, he is so cool and took whatever he wanted without remorse. When you saw me at Chloe's grave I was Clark again"

"I know you saw me as a moody and sulky little boy but I wanted to be loved and accepted by everyone. Growing up my parents had warned me over and over to never let anyone know about my abilities as they might take me away from them and I would be 'dissected like a frog'. I became so scared to be friends with anyone after Johnny Court told me that I was adopted because my real parents didn't love me and the only people who could love me were dirt-poor farmers. I hit him, I was so angry; I threw him against the wall. I broke his arm and dislocated his shoulder and my dad was so angry with me for being so careless. It was a huge drama and I became scared to be friends with anyone."

"I didn't know what I was or where I came from or anything. When my parents told me just before I started high-school about my spaceship and how they found me it seemed to isolate me even more from my peers. I was an alien with powers I couldn't show or talk about. Looking back I think what a purely Freudian thing for a child to live with.

"I am sure I think I loved Lana because she could make me feel normal. If someone like Lana could love me then I would be normal. As you know I spent the whole time with Lana trying to be what she wanted and it just made me miserable. I think I tried to make everyone happy but I became miserable, moody and lonely. I never loved Lana, I now know that I needed her."

Lois had tears in her eyes as she heard the heartbreak in his voice as he talked. 'God I wish I had known all this back then, how things would have been different. Yeah right Lane, you thought him a mummy's boy and annoying. You were continually abrupt with him. God I was a total bitch to him at times and he continued being my friend and helping me out. How many times did Clark help me and how many times did I say thank you. You were a piece of work back then Lane.'

"Then I met you and you were a ray of sunshine in my existence. Lois, do you have any idea how you can explode into someone's life? You wouldn't let me sulk, you continually told me off and you kept not letting me get all screwed up thinking about my destiny. I had no idea how to relate to you or know what to say to you. Eventually you allowed me to see that my "destiny" was not something I had to follow. I needed to know what that destiny was and then achieve it on my terms."

"The day I left and yes I was really upset about Oliver and you but that isn't why I left, it was time. I went to the fortress and spent a year in suspension learning the knowledge of the 28 known galaxies. After that I could fly, but the most important thing to come out of that time was I came to terms with both sides of my personality, Kal-el and Clark became a new Clark. I then spent the next four years learning to be a man I could be proud of."

"Where did Superman come from? Well after Afghanistan I decided that the world needed a hero and I needed a disguise so I could affect events. My decision to become Superman was to allow me to help people but also allow me to have a normal life."

"Clark Kent is the man, Superman is what I can do," slowly he rested his forehead against the window and closed his eyes.

She barely heard him whisper, "God, don't let her hate me", it sounded like a prayer.


	15. Metropolis acceptance

CHAPTER 19

Lois stood there holding his hand, to tell the truth, she had no idea what to say or even what to think. The only thing she did know was to not let go his hand. His hand was the only anchor she had on her feelings. She was torn; her feelings were a mess over Clark. Feeling his hand getting looser, she grabbed it hard, not allowing him to let go. She needed to have contact with him when she talked to him.

Remembering that with Clark it was better to say what she felt in her gut that what was in her head she held his hand tighter and whispered "Clark, I will never hate you," she waited a moment to gauge his reaction and when nothing was forthcoming whispered, "Clark, please look at me."

Slowly he turned his body towards her, his eyes still closed and his forehead down as if it was still resting on the window. Still holding his hand, Lois lifted her other hand and slid her finger under his chin and lifted his head. "Open your eyes Clark, please," she whispered "I want to see your eyes when I talk to you."

Taking a deep breath, Clark slowly opened his eyes and looked into Lois's. He was worried about what he was going to see on her face. 'Trust her Clark, you know her if anyone will accept it, she will, might take her a while but eventually she will accept it. If I ever saw fear or dislike on her face towards me I don't know what I would do, God she is beautiful, I could get lost in those eyes and never come out', he thought as he waited for her to speak.

"Clark, you are more 'human' than anyone else I know. You feel the pain of being human to a level I can't even contemplate. You have been feeling alone for so long and yet you have not become bitter or angry. You could have lived a normal life but you have chosen a life of sacrifice to help people without any ulterior motive," Lois said. Disengaging her hand from his she lifted both her hands up to the sides of his face.

"Clark Kent you are the most honorable man I know and I am so proud, so very proud to call you my friend," she quietly told him before she lifted herself up on her toes and gently kissed him on his lips. 'Bloody hell Lane, what are you doing, talk about playing with fire, mmmm his lips feel so soft, STOP IT', she thought as she dropped down to her feet and hugged him with her cheek resting on his chest.

"It's a good thing you aren't green with no hair, then we might be having an issue with the alien thing," she laughed into his chest.

"LOIS!" he replied bursting into laughter and putting his arms around her and hugging her. This woman was so like his mother, she was able to make him feel alright with very little effort. 'No wonder I love this woman she is so remarkable, tell her Kent, come on what are you afraid of? What if she doesn't feel the same? What if it makes it all awkward between us? I can't do it; I can't lose the only real friend I have. God she felt good,' He thought to himself. Clark decided he had better move back out of the hug before she could feel the effect she was having on him.

'Oh Clark, you are not as ambivalent about me as you pretend, little Clarkie is definitely taking an interest,' Lois thought to herself, glancing down as Clark pulled away. 'Dammit he is only wearing pj's, how easy would it be to kiss him half to death and see what happens in those pants?' Grinning at Clark, she stepped back and as she walked to the chair, she swung her hips, knowing that her butt looked great in this dress. Taking her time to sit down she crossed her legs so that the slit showed plenty of leg 'oh girl you are being so naughty, lets see if little clarkie stays interested'. "Clark this changes nothing, to me you will always be my friend and nothing will ever change that."

"Now big boy show me what you can do, I need proof," Lois huskily grinned at him "us investigative journalists don't just take peoples words, we need facts and proof."

With a big grin at her that caused goose bumps to race all over her body he just disappeared. "What the hell," she exclaimed before Clark reappeared in front of her with a single flower in his hand. "Where did you get that?" she asked, staring at him.

"I picked it from the park," he shyly answered as he gave it to her.

"That's like 5 miles away, well Kent you are certainly fast," she grinned at him, 'I wonder if you are always fast big boy? I want fast but not too fast grrrrrrr' she naughtily thought to herself.

"Let's see, you have seen me fly, you have seen strength, you have seen me melt guns with my eyes, let me think . . ." slipping his glasses down his nose, Clark stared intently at her, "in your handbag you have a lipstick, comb, notebook and um . . . a woman product," said Clark as a blush started to come up his neck.

"Tampons they are called tampons, geez Clark after all this time and you can get all shy about the silliest things," she said before a cheeky grin came over her face and she teased "So I am guessing you didn't need porn growing up with vision like that, you could just have a quick perve whenever."

"Lois, I never, I wouldn't, my mom would kill me if I did that," he stammered

"Are you telling me Clark that you never took a quick perve at me, not even once . . .?"

As a blush raced up Clark's face Lois burst out laughing "you have, you have had a perve, when did that happen Mr Superman with the x-ray vision?"

"God this is embarrassing, it was a mistake and it hasn't happened since, I promise you"

"Clark when did you check me out"

"You aren't going to let this go are you Lois?"

"Nope, come on, spill it"

"It was just before I left. Crap this is so embarrassing, you were bending over in the kitchen and I . . . No I am not going to tell you," Clark firmly stated.

"You have been checking out my arse, oh my god that is so funny, I hope I was wearing underwear that day," she grinned at him as she watched him blush again. 'Clark Kent you are the most adorable man, sexy with morals what a dreamy combination and I bet you checked out my butt as I walked away from you,' she thought to herself.

"So you are totally fine with everything I have told you?" Clark asked her as he sat down opposite her.

"Of course, you are still the Clark Kent I have known, lived with, worked with as a friend and confidant so yeah I am fine with it. I won't lie to you Clark, it is a lot to take in and it will take a while for it to fully hit me, it's a big secret but overall it won't change our friendship."

Looking over Lois couldn't help herself from grinning at him, she loved to see him smiling and she always wanted to see that sparkle in his eyes. Thinking of eyes Lois knew that there was something else she needed to bring up.

"Clark, we need to talk about your disguise. If I worked it out it won't be long before other people who know you work it out as well."

"I think that people will just not expect Clark and Superman to be the same person so will not be able to piece it together. As Superman I tend to not talk to people and any pictures that have been taken of me are blurry as I move as they are being taken." Clark replied fairly unconcerned.

"Clark the only difference between you and Superman is a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and swept back hair," and she more forcefully added "we need to change some things about Clark so that people don't pick up the connection."

"What sort of things?"

"Well you need to wear different glasses, thicker ones with heavy frames, so the effect is greater, slouch a bit and not be so confident or something, Superman even stands like you do Clark."

"Lois, I am not going to change who I am, I am Clark Kent and this is who I am. It has taken me a long time to become a man I can be proud of and I am not hiding who I am just so Superman can exist. If one of us has to go it will be Superman," he stated with a determination that spoke volumes, "but I will consider wearing thicker framed glasses, it's not like I need them or anything," he smiled.

Smiling back at him all Lois could think was how much she admired Clark. To have grown up with issues that would send most people into a looney bin, to become the man she saw in front of her was truly awe-inspiring. He had a force of personality and stature that was . . . she wanted to say almost super human but that was to belittle Clark. Lois suddenly realized that she no longer had Clark's attention. He was sitting there with a far-away look in his eyes, his head was slightly cocked and he seemed to be concentrating on something. "Clark, what are you doing?"

"Lois, I have to go, there is a fire in an apartment building in Dallas," he replied as he stood to his feet and Lois found herself looking at Superman, "See you tomorrow Lois," he smiled at her as he just disappeared and she heard a sonic boom in the sky.


	16. Metropolis Questions

CHAPTER 20:

The next day Lois couldn't wait to get into work. She had left for her apartment just after Clark flew off and at 6.30am she had given up her pointless pursuit of sleep and got ready for the day. Her job had always excited her but now, knowing she was going to be working with Clark aka Superman, she could admit to herself she was 'pumped'.

Stopping at her usual coffee place to grab her obligatory morning coffee she was surprised to see the masthead of the Metropolis Star screaming SUPERMAN. Curious to see what they had to say she pulled the newspaper up and nearly dropped it when the rest of the headline came into view: "SUPERMAN – Friend or Foe".

The story was on the Triumph Ball incident but the angle taken by the newspaper was to make Superman out to be a vigilante who operated on his own terms. There was a slightly out of focus shot of Superman smashing the guns with his hands. The photo looked like it had been shot with a camera from a mobile phone. It certainly didn't look clear but it did show the power of Superman.

Lois quickly read the rest of the article and became quite irritated that Lex and Lana had given quotes for the article. 'Lex was in lala land and Lana has never been the most reliable person under stress, so why would they be going along with such an inflammatory article' she wondered.

The article talked in detail about the injuries the armed men had suffered and likened it to police brutality. 'Police brutality, what are they going on about, he saved over 200 people from a dangerous situation and they are talking excess force, imagine the carnage if the Police Swat team had arrived in that situation' Lois thought to herself as her started to shake with anger.

The questions posed were written to inflame public opinion.

Who was Superman and where did he come from?

What controls are on Superman to stop him misusing his obvious powers?

What can the police do to stop him if he gets out of control?

What is he hiding and why won't he talk to the press?

By the time Lois had finished the article she was storming into the Daily Planet. Without hesitation she marched into Perry's office and threw the newspaper on his desk. "What are we going to do about this?" she demanded.

"Do about what Lois,"

"This inflammatory article about Superman."

"Who said it is inflammatory Lois, it strikes me as good journalism. They are just asking the questions the public want to know. Who is he and why is he doing what he is doing. Contrary to your opinions Lane, these are legitimate journalist questions."

"Perry, all he does is save people."

"Lois I watched him throw over a dozen armed men against walls, smash guns and warn us that there would be no more. No more what? As a journalist you must want to know about him?"

"Yes, but I am not going to skewer the man on public opinion until he has committed a crime. Why is everyone worried about him, we have all sorts of weirdos running around like the Batman and that thief the Green Arrow and no one seems to worry about them."

"Superman is different. I am not proud to say that as much as I am grateful for the rescue last night, he scared the hell out of me. No human can do what he can do and he made me feel scared. He has had plenty of opportunities to talk to the press and he continually seems to be avoiding us. My editorial in this morning's paper is in the same vein as the Star's report."

"What! Perry how could you?" she barked at him and without taking a breath Lois continued "What about my article on last night? Has it been edited to reflect your opinion? Do we have to follow your lead on Superman?"

"Lois! LOIS BE QUIET!" Perry yelled at her and waited for her to stop before continuing, "your article wasn't changed but my editorial was written before last night and last night confirmed to me that I was right to write it. Your article doesn't ask the hard questions of Superman but does of the event organizers, security and the attempted robbery. What if Superman set it all up to present himself to the movers and shakers of Metropolis? They are all grateful to him now, he could ask anything of them and they would give it to him."

"He isn't like that, I know he isn't" Lois replied

"How do you know that, no one knows anything about him? This newspaper is going to make it a priority to find out everything it can about Superman. Deal with it Lane" Perry yelled at her, "Now don't you have something to do better than harassing me?"

"Fine!!!" she yelled as she stormed out of his office and slammed the door. "What the hell are you all looking at?" she yelled at the bullpen and stomped to her desk. Where was Clark she wondered, by now he will have read the newspapers?

By mid-morning Lois had become quite concerned about Clark's non-appearance in the office. 'Where is he, Clark is never late to work, if anything he is the first here, so where was he?' she wondered to herself as she checked out the door of the bullpen for what felt like the hundredth time this morning.

Her eyes widening as she finally saw Clark walk through the door. He looked straight at her and smiled but he looked tired and a little messy. He walked towards the coffee pot and poured himself a cup and drained it without thinking. The slightly guilty look on his face before he looked around to see if anyone had seen him skull a steaming cup of coffee without blinking or burning his mouth was priceless to Lois. She grinned at him but was shaking her head thinking 'Clark you have to be more careful if you don't want people to know you are Superman.'

"Where have you been Clark?" she asked as he came over towards her desk.

Leaning down so he could talk to her quietly, his breath tickling her ear and his body so close was sending shivers down her spine. "Four apartment buildings in Dallas went up this morning, the fires weren't random; all the fires were started by an incendiary device. I have spent the morning trying to get everyone out of the buildings and help put the fires out. I ended up having to scan all the buildings in Dallas and found another three devices ready to go off. This was not a random act but an act of terrorism." Clark replied as he stood up and sat on the edge of her desk. "I am going to talk to Perry about flying to Dallas to report on these fires. I have a hunch that it is the start of something bigger."

"Clark, not wanting to change the subject but have you had the chance to read the papers this morning?" she asked as she unthinkingly reached up and rubbed a faint soot mark off the side of his face.

"No, why?" Clark replied as he stood there and let Lois rub his face.

"I think you should read this mornings newspapers, both of them," said Lois as she sat back in her chair and slid the both copies over to him.

Taking the two papers Clark went and sat down at his chair. Lois watched him as he read her article first. She could almost tell what he was reading by the look on his face. Once he raised his head and looked at Perry's office and then continued to read. He read the Star and then reread Perry's editorial and then leant back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his face. Lois could only see his profile and was dying to see what he was thinking but decided to let him be as she was sure that he would come to talk to her when he was ready.

Keeping an eye on him Lois started to write her follow up report on last night's incident. She wasn't 100 convinced it was a robbery as there seemed to be too many people for a robbery and they seemed awfully slick for criminals. At the time they had struck her as ex-military and she was attempting to use her contacts to ascertain whether she was correct or not.

Her attention was taken off her work as she watched Clark stand up and start to move quickly towards the door and disappear.

"I wonder what could make that hunk move like that?" Hannah asked Lois as she came over. "Lois, what's going on with Clark and you? Are you seeing him?" Hannah asked.

"No, we are just friends. Why?"

"Is he dating anyone that you know of?"

"No, why the 50 questions routine Hannah?"

"Is Clark gay?"

Lois burst out laughing, "Hannah I can assure you that Clark is certainly not gay. Why would you think he is gay?"

"He doesn't seem interested in women. He has turned down everyone that has asked him out and he never asks anyone out so, you know, some of us thought he might be gay."

"Did you ever think that maybe I wasn't interested in casual flings and being gossiped about?" Clark asked as he walked up behind Hannah. Lois groaned, as Hannah suddenly looked mortified. Taking pity on Hannah because she had no idea how quick Clark could move, Lois looked at Clark and teasingly said "What do you expect Clark, you never date and you don't seem interested in women, of course they are going to wonder why a good looking man like you doesn't date. Maybe you are gay or you could be pining away for the love of your life?"

Looking straight at Lois with not much of a smile on his face, Clark turned towards Hannah and apologized for sneaking up on her and embarrassing her. Lois thought that was the last he was going to say and then her mind went blank as Clark continued "Hannah would you like to have dinner and go dancing with me tonight?"


	17. Metropolis Swing

CHAPTER 21

Bruce was now pissed at being used and he was going to have some fun at her expense.

He had received a call from Lois during the afternoon and she had invited him out on a date. They had gone to dinner at Boneparte's, which was up to its usual high standard, and he had been ready to head back to her place to continue the evening in her bed.

When Lois told him she wanted to go dancing he was very reluctant as "Bruce Wayne does not dance" he kept telling her. Getting Lois to change her mind was always a waste of time so Bruce finally agreed to go dancing but drew the line at attending a nightclub. Lois suggested a new dance club in midtown Metropolis called "Swing".

After walking through the doors, with the usual VIP treatment being dished out for Bruce Wayne, Lois and Bruce were shown to a table and they ordered some drinks. Looking around the room at all the dancing couples Bruce realized that they were in a club that catered for couples who wanted to dance as partners. The tango seemed to be the dance currently on display with the couple's lack of skill being made up with enthusiastic endeavour.

"Sexy, did you know that this was a dance club like this?" Bruce asked.

"No, I didn't. Come on Bruce have some fun and lets go dance."

"Lois I don't like dancing. If you want to go dancing lets go to another club where you can just join everyone on the floor and dance."

"Come on Bruce, come dance with me?" Lois begged, as she took his hand and tugged him towards the floor. He allowed her to take him with her as the music changed to a slow romantic ballad.

'Well at least I can just waltz around' Bruce thought to himself as he took Lois into his arms and started to twirl her around the floor. Bruce could dance very well he just didn't enjoy dancing. Like a lot of things growing up Bruce just didn't like being second best at anything and he had paid a series of dance instructors to come and teach him. Plus it made great sense to be a good dancer as it was all about balance, strength and control of his body, all necessary skills for his night job.

He had to admit that Lois was a good dancer and having her in his arms gave him a very sexy feeling. As the music changed he led Lois off the floor as a salsa tune started. Sitting down he grabbed his drink and was surprised to see the CEO of his Metropolis office and his wife walking over to say hi. After introducing Lois to Rex and Dorothy he invited them to join them at their table.

The floor had emptied a bit as a couple took centre stage and were performing a salsa that Bruce admitted was almost professional level. The two of them flowed with subtle grace and power. The sensuality between them was turning up the heat in the room. Looking at the back of the man Bruce was struck by how familiar he looked. Moving forward to get a slightly better look, Bruce started to laugh to himself when he recognized Clark. Then he felt Lois's hand grab his arm and looking down at her he just knew that he had been set-up. She bloody knew that Clark was going to be here. Her eyes were round and she was looking at Clark as if she had never seen him before.

"Clark is an amazing dancer isn't he Lois?" Clark teased her, waiting to see her reaction. He grinned when he saw the totally dumbfounded look on her face. "Are you telling me that you didn't think Clark could dance? The man's an athlete, it stands to reason the man could dance."

"Who is he dancing with I wonder? She is beautiful and she seems to fit so well with Clark, don't you agree Lois?"

"Um . . . yeahhh. Um . . . her name is Hannah, she works at the Planet with us."

They watched as the music built to a crescendo and Clark slid forward into Hannah and put his arm around her back, bent her over and ran his hand down her chest and put his head next to hers and stayed there as the music finished. The crowd cheered and clapped, as Clark and Hannah stood up, grinned at each other before walking off the floor. Looking down at Lois, Bruce couldn't resist, "I do believe that Clark is going to get very lucky tonight. They make a totally sexy couple don't you think?"

Lois was in shock, Clark could dance, and not just dance, the man could flow with a sensual power and grace that was mesmerizing. 'Hell is there nothing that man cannot do?' she thought, feeling insanely jealous watching Clark and Hannah walk off the floor. 'Ok Lane, no more kidding yourself, you are jealous of Hannah right now and you want to be the one dancing with Clark.' Right now she wanted to go over and scratch out Hannah eyes and tell her to leave Clark alone.

Finally accepting it, Lois knew it was time to sort her feelings out and it wasn't fair to Bruce either. Bruce had been fun but he had never made her feel as Clark did.

"Bruce we need to talk. Can we go somewhere we can talk by ourselves?" Lois asked looking up at him.

"Do you want to say hi to Clark before we go?"

"No, I will talk to him in the morning. Can we go now?"

"Sure"

Bruce knew what was coming and it hurt, it hurt more than he thought it would, but he needed to be honest with himself. He didn't think he would ever marry Lois so he had to let her go.


	18. Metropolis A Favour to ask

CHAPTER 22:

For the first time in years Clark focused on Lois's heartbeat. He needed to know if she was awake or sleeping. The decision he had made he hadn't made lightly and she was the only person he trusted enough to understand and assist him. He was drifting in the upper atmosphere, eyes closed as he slowly filtered out the noise. Her heartbeat started to come to him after he caught the sound of her talking on the phone. She was obviously awake but he zeroed down until he could hear her heartbeat. It was strong and the sound of it filled him with peace. 'It's a good thing she wasn't with Bruce tonight or my stalking days would have shocked me once again', he laughed to himself.

Deciding to take the risk that she would be off the phone soon, he rocketed down out of the atmosphere and headed towards her apartment. Floating outside her window as he waited he watched her through the walls. It all seemed so surreal to him that he could find even the smallest things she did so appealing. Lois was tucked up in the corner of her couch, wearing a pair of short silk pajamas with fluffy slippers on her feet.

Watching Lois hang up the phone and start to get up, Clark floated forward to tap on the window. Whipping her head around with a shocked look on her face, Lois stumbled over her coffee table and fell flat onto her butt. 'Crap she is going to be mega pissed now,' Clark thought to himself as he tried not to smile or laugh. Lois got up off the floor with a grimace and came over to the window, trying to be circumspect as she rubbed her butt.

Moving her curtain to the side she peeked out and her face suddenly burst into life as she saw Clark floating outside. Opening her window she moved back to allow Clark to fly on in. "Superman, don't you ever scare me like that again, I nearly had a heart attack and I landed on my arse. No funny cracks out of you either mister," she told him off.

"I was just going to ask if that hurt Lois, it looked like a very hard landing, are you sure a crack isn't warranted," he grinned at her.

"Leave the crack puns alone as well Mr Superman," Lois replied fighting to stop a grin appearing on her face, "So what brings you tapping on my window at 1.30 in the morning?"

"Lois, I need to ask a favor of you. Well not so much a favor, as to ask if you would consider doing something for me?"

"Here was I thinking that Hannah had kicked you out and you were here to sulk," she teased, "What can I do for you Superman?"

"Superman, we are being formal tonight and if you want to know what happened tonight you just have to ask Lois, anything you want to know you just have to ask," he replied before he looked her straight in the eye and continued "For the record we had dinner, went dancing and then I dropped her off home and I didn't give her a goodnight kiss."

"I need to keep Superman clear in my mind, to ensure I don't make a huge mistake. When you are wearing the suit I will always call you Superman. Can't have people suddenly hearing me say your real name when I see you, you never know who will be listening," she answered but inside she could feel a weight that had been inside her start to lift as he admitted that he hadn't slept with Hannah. 'Lois, the man is a boy scout, there is no way he is going to sleep with someone on a first date, I didn't know that, well you should have known that, Clark is the product of his parents, remember the telling off you got when they thought you two had a shower together, well Clark isn't going to just shag anyone.'

"I'm glad nothing happened between Hannah and you," she shyly admitted to him.

'Did she just say what I think she said, why would Lois be glad nothing happened, geez this woman confuses the crap out of me. Clark she is with Bruce, remember Bruce your good friend so just let that one slide' Clark thought before he cleared his throat and told her the reason for his visit.

"Lois, I want you to write an article on Superman for the Daily Planet."

"What sort of article?"

"You know my story and you know me but the World seems to be confused by me. I have decided people deserve to get the answers they are searching for. The only person I trust to write this is you. So Lois will you write an article on Superman?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Lois I need you to write this article without any undue editing or influence by me. My concern is if I don't put a stop on the negative publicity then I might no longer be welcome here."

"Here?"

"Metropolis and maybe the world."

"I assume you don't want the world to know about your personal life, just about Superman, is that correct?"

"Yes, you can say anything on Superman just leave my family and my upbringing out of it. We don't need people to put two and two together, too many people could get hurt."

"I will do it on one condition"

"Why is there always a condition with you Lois? Ok, what's the condition?"

"That I am the only reporter that Superman talks to?" she grinned at him "I am not so nice as to allow all reporters the chance to steal my thunder."

"You are incorrigible, Lois Lane, but you have a deal."

"Awesome, you know I am going to make sure you keep that deal," she said as she put her hand out for him to shake. Smiling at him as he shook her hand before lifting it to his lips to kiss, before he said "Deal".

"Well, push off then, if I have an article to write it isn't going to get done tonight with you standing there grinning at me you big loon," Lois joked as her mind already started to think about angles and approaches to what was going to be the story of the millennium.

Clark shook his head, as he knew that right now Lois's mind was churning and he might as well be invisible. Taking her advice he let himself out the window and disappeared into the night.


	19. Metropolis Clock is ticking

CHAPTER 23:

It was 09.32.00am when the building exploded and collapsed.

At 09.32.15am Superman had arrived and started to rescue people from the rubble.

By 09.45am every Metropolis news network had arrived on the scene and the reporters were starting to go live. Lois Lane was one of the first reporters on the scene. She had been standing with Clark waiting for her morning coffee when the sound of the explosion had reached Clark. He had just said "building collapsing over on 5th avenue" and disappeared. He hadn't even attempted to try and leave in secrecy he had just disappeared. 'Clark you need to be so much more careful, no matter the risk, the wrong people knowing you are Superman and we are all in trouble,' she thought as she looked around to see if anyone had noticed, 'I suppose it just seems so surreal that any one noticing would assume their eyes were playing tricks.' Shaking her head slightly she whispered "Be careful Superman".

Walking quickly towards 5th Avenue, Lois thought back to how her story on Superman had been received. The editorials attacking him had stopped but Metropolis still hadn't fully accepted Superman, as there were people who still wondered how anyone could be so selfless. 'We just aren't used to someone who gives everything of himself for others without looking for anything in return, Clark you certainly are changing perceptions and attitudes without doing anything but be yourself. We are so lucky to have you, and girl, you have to admit that you are lucky to have him in your life,' she thought to herself

Superman was everywhere, helping the rescuers. He was moving enormous amounts of rubble and pulling out survivor after survivor. His calmness and determination was infectious and the rescuers were moving under his direction as he informed them where the survivors were, how to get to them and what was the safest path to take.

The strong emotions she knew that Clark had to be suffering from, were not evident on his face, as he calmly moved to wherever he was urgently needed the most, to help survivors. At one stage when a woman he had just pulled from the rubble died in his arm, his eyes had searched for her and for a second she saw what this was doing to him. She saw the helpless pain evident in his eyes before his "Superman" mask came back. Her heart went out to him and she whispered for his ears alone "you are not alone, I am here for you".

At 9.50am Superman went still for a second, his head cocked, before he took off up into the sky and then flew straight down into the rubble driving himself deep out of sight. The crowd gathered held their breath wondering what Superman had found. Within seconds he had returned with a crying baby in his arms. Without saying anything he handed the baby to a paramedic and flew straight back down the hole. Four times he flew up with tiny children in his arms, the children were covered in dust and crying. Their crying galvanized the crowd as it became more and more obvious that Superman had found the building's crèche and there were children alive. Offers for help were coming from all over the city with construction workers racing from sites to assist.

Lois watched Superman dive down into the hole for the fifth time. Wondering what she could do to help without getting in the way Lois was thrown off her feet as a bomb went off deep underground and the rest of the building collapsed into a crater that had appeared.

Rescue workers and the crowd had been flung about like rag dolls and Lois was sure that some of the people down in the crater would never rise again. 'Oh My God, Clark, Clark is down there,' Lois thought as she frantically looked to see if he was around. Not seeing him Lois felt her heart flutter, she knew he was invulnerable but how invulnerable he was she didn't know. The crowd started to panic to get away from the area as the realization hit that that might not be the last bomb. Lois couldn't leave; no matter what, she was not leaving until she knew that Clark was ok. She was able to convince a Police Officer to let her stay when he asked her to leave the area due to her press affiliation.

At 11.41am Lois started to despair. Superman had not reappeared and nearly all the injured and dead had been carried out of the crater to the waiting ambulances. As the last stretcher-bearer cleared the edge of the crater it was like the hope he would return started to fade. Lois knew that Clark would be here if he could, helping the wounded and taking the most injured to hospital. Grabbing the arm of the nearest Police Officer, Lois asked "What about Superman and what about any others trapped?"

"Ma'am, there is nothing we can do for any of them until we know that there are no further bombs. The chances of anyone surviving, the second explosion, is faint." He replied gravely.

Lois walked back to the edge of the crater and looked down. "Clark I know you can hear me, I will find you, I wont let them stop digging for you until they find you. I promise you this Clark," she whispered as a tear rolled down her face. "Don't you go and die on me now Superman, you hear me," she said much louder.

Clark heard Lois. He had found the crèche, it had survived the first explosion due to it being in the underground car park and was close to the corner of the original building. The huge steel beams that held the building up had fallen across the top of the crèche and most of the children in the crèche had survived. Throughout his rescues he had continued to listen to all the creaks and groan of the collapsed building so he had been able to hear the click of the bomb going off. Without thinking he had flown and picked up each of the remaining alive children and sheltered them with his body as the bomb exploded. Now he was crouched over five small children with what felt like the entire weight of the building on his back. He didn't think he had long in this small pocket before the air ran out and he didn't know if he could move and lift the building off him without hurting or killing the surviving children.

At 5.30pm a huge crowd had gathered to see if their loved ones had survived. Across the entire area there was a profound silence as the knowledge that this had been an act of terrorism sunk in. The loss of so many people, including Superman, seemed to provide a very somber mood. Lois didn't think that anyone would ever question the purpose and value of Superman after today's violence. Lois had been unable to get anyone to start attempts, as the FBI and Homeland Security were not in a position to give the all clear to start what everyone kept calling 'body retrieval'. 'Clark is alive, I know he is alive, I would know if he was dead, I would just know,' she thought, 'Clark is one of the good guys, they don't die in such a stupid way.'

Clark knew that it was now or never, the children had become extremely sleepy and they were struggling to breath. He knew it was going to be awkward but what choice did he have, he took the five children into his arms, under the shelter of his chest and told the children in a soft voice what he was going to do. He urged them to stay still, try not to cry and close their eyes and think about their parents. 'Thank God, I was able to get all the very small children out first,' he thought, 'this would be deadly if they were babies'.

With a gradual but increasingly powerful push Clark bent his back against the weight above him. With a barely noticeable movement the entire pile moved. Taking a deep breath and straining with everything he had in him, Clark started to push up. 'God it hurts, come on Clark, these kids need you, you can do this, push you big oaf, push.'

Inch by inch he started to create a hole big enough for him to stand up. Finally Clark could stand up straight. Wrapping his cape around the children he bent his arm and with inhuman speed started to create a hole above his head. Keeping the children safe was his biggest priority so he wasn't able to go as fast as he would normally. Inch by inch he cleared the way to float up carrying the children. He didn't dare risk heat vision, as the heat from the smoldering rubble would burn the children. He didn't have a choice but to do it slowly. He just kept moving forward one piece at a time.

As the evening's setting sun slanted light across the desolation, the crowd, still in a somber mood, were staring into the crater. It was a time for silence as the day set upon the victims. There was a palatable feeling of hopelessness and loss but there was also anger. Anger that this had happened without warning and the second explosion was set to catch rescuers and Superman.

With a loud crack a fist burst through one of the piles. The fist was clenched and the arm was encased with royal blue. The setting sun highlighted Superman as he rose up out of the rubble with 5 small children held in his arms. It was an image of Clark that Lois would never forget as that was the moment she realized that she was unequivocally head over heels in love with Clark Kent.

Lois watched as Superman flew the children towards the paramedics and softly landed. Handing each of the children over as if they were the most priceless crystal. A sobbing woman stepped out of the crowd and asked in a shaking voice "Superman, were there anymore children alive down there, did you see my little Grace, are you going back to get her?" Lois wanted so badly to go and hug Clark but the best she could do was to move close enough so that he could sense her presence. Clark put his hand on the woman's shoulder and with a very soft voice he informed her that no other children where alive down there and he was so very sorry for her loss. "Would you go and get her so I can say goodbye, can you please, Superman?" the woman sobbed with tears running down her face. Taking his hand off her he slipped back into his Superman persona and without another word just floated across and disappeared down the hole he had recently burst from.

Over the next two hours, Lois's heart was broken piece by piece as she watched Clark return again and again into that smashed desolate crater and bring victim after victim to the surface to place them down near the ambulances for transporting to the morgue. Each victim he lay down his face became colder. Lois couldn't take her eyes off Clark and she felt a physical pain as she watched what this was doing to Clark and no one seemed to want to talk to him, it seemed so private.

Each time he returned with a body that was smaller than an adult he would lay the body down with a gentleness that seemed so at odds with how his face looked. He would brush their hair back off their face and say something under his breath before returning to smash into the rubble with a greater force as if he was trying to give himself physical pain.

Lois wasn't the only person in the crowd to have tears rolling down their face. She didn't know what emotion she was feeling to cause tears but in the face of such lonely heroic endeavour, tears seemed appropriate.

Superman came up for the last time, cradling the body of a woman, her body torn and battered and placed her down on the stretcher of one of the remaining ambulances. He leant down and gently brushed her hair off her face and seemed to be saying something to her. He turned from her and walked towards the waiting reporters.

Standing in front of the reporters he looked enormous, his face cold, his eyes angry and his muscles tensed with his arms folded. In his deep dark voice Superman spoke "I have seen on this planet some atrocities that are unforgiveable. I tell the world, no more, no more will I stand and watch evil men create anguish and suffering to further their own pathetic agendas. If you choose to commit an act of terrorism, crime or war upon the innocent I will descend upon you like an avenging angel. You will be dragged before a court of law and judged. If you consider this an empty threat, be aware I have made promises to the dead here today that their deaths will not be in vain. There will be no more deaths of the innocent without judgement this I promise."

Without another word Superman turned and flew off with the reporters yelling to gain his attention. Lois turned and left the group of reporters knowing that right now Clark needed her more than any story she had to write. For once in her life another Daily Planet reporter could get the front-page story on Superman. She knew Clark needed her but the big problem was getting him to admit he needed her. The other problem was how to find him.


	20. Metropolis starting for the ages

_Rated M - please be aware – go to next chapter if you don't want to read about sex._

CHAPTER 24:

Lois's butt was now numb. She had been sitting on the floor outside Clark's apartment for the last 60 minutes. She was now weighing up whether to break in or not. It wasn't like this was a strangers place, this was Clark's place and he might get awfully pissed if she broke in. 'Great way to start a relationship, Hi honey, I'm home, don't worry about the door, I am sure a locksmith can fix it' Lois laughed to herself. She had accepted after today's events that she wanted a relationship with Clark. 'Now I have to make Clark realize he wants a relationship with me. Maybe I should just seduce him, God what if he said no, mortifying is the word I would use. Slowly, slowly with the big blue boy Lane.'

'Bugger it my ass is totally asleep, Clark can deal with me breaking in,' Lois thought as she stood up and found her oddly bent pin in her bag. The pin had been breaking into places over quite a few years and was a very necessary part of her arsenal. Finally opening the lock, Lois let herself into his apartment and as usual, was amazed how clean it was. Clark's place had lots of pictures of his parents and friends. She always loved to look at the pictures Clark had of the many people he had met on his travels.

No matter who was in the picture with him, he was smiling his big smile. 'Why does that happen so rarely now and how sad Clark now looks in comparison. We need to talk about that as well. He is gorgeous when he smiles, hell girl he is gorgeous when he frowns, hehe wonder what he looks like when he about to come, down girl, time that is going to take time, but I am going to see that come hell or high water, big boy you are in trouble, I am a hunting you.'

Standing still in the middle of Clark's apartment, Lois could hear running water coming from Clark's bathroom. Walking over she opened the door to listen and saw it was the shower running. "Clark, Clark you there?" she asked and receiving no answer walked forward to turn off the shower. Pulling back the curtain Lois was shocked to see Clark asleep, curled up naked in the corner of the shower with the water hitting him. It was obvious to her he had been crying as his face looked miserable.

Without thinking Lois stepped into the shower and dropped down to her knees and pulled him to her. "Clark, Clark wake up," she said as she slowly started to rock him. His eyes flew open and his bloodshot dark blue eyes stared into her green ones. Without thinking Lois leant forward to protect his face from the water. The water was running down the back of her neck and her forehead was pressed against his. His eyes never stopped looking into her eyes as his hand came up and cupped her face.

Gently he pulled her face down and kissed her. A kiss that demanded nothing, but asked for everything. Without saying anything Lois gave him access to her mouth. His tongue slid into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. The feeling of longing and need he was showing her was driving her body and mind wild. Never before had she experienced a kiss like it.

His lips were caressing her lips as he changed and varied the intensity of the kiss. 'Oh my god, Clark can friggin kiss' Lois moaned in her head as he pulled back and sucked her bottom lip between his lips and ran his tongue along her captured lip. 'oh my Goddddddddd' her hands were suddenly on his chest. Running her fingers across his nipple she pinched him, knowing he couldn't feel it but she just had to do it.

His hands came up and grabbed the front of her top and without any compunction ripped it down the middle and slid it back off her chest. His lips started to slide down her face and neck. His tongue pooled into the hollow of her neck as he slid his tongue down between her breasts, sucking the water that was running down her from the shower. He sat back, leant against the wall of the shower, picked her up and placed her astride his lap. His mouth dropped down to suck one of her nipples through the material of her bra. She could feel his desire and want between her legs through her jeans. 'God he is so big,' she growled in her head.

Her hands were grabbing his hair as he continued to torment her nipples. Lois was desperate to feel his lips on her skin. "Clark, take it off", she groaned. Hearing her he reached up and snapped the straps of her bra and pulled the cups down to expose her to his gaze. "Perfect," he whispered, "so perfect" as his lips started to once again capture her aching mounds.

His hands reached around behind her and cupped the cheeks of her butt in his big hands. She couldn't help herself as she started to grind her hips down against him. His lips on her were making her lose her mind. She could feel the crescendo building inside her 'not now, too soon, not now,' she thought but it was too late. Her desire for him was taking her over the top and she started to move faster and faster on him. Her hands grabbing his hair and pulling it as he continued to suck and bite her. She let it go, throwing her head back she screamed as it hit her, her body trembling and shaking as she kept grinding against him. 'oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,' she chanted in her head as she came so hard.

Her mind was spinning but she needed to think again as his hands and lips had stopped 'God, so friggin good, bugger he's stopped, I came too soon, not a natural point for him, dammit Lane he can stop now if he gets all moral on me,' her mind whirled.

Clark was still holding her. His eyes came up and looked at her. "Lois," he croaked.

"Don't say anything Clark, let me take away the pain, let me do that for you," she quickly spoke to stop him saying anything.

"Lois, we shouldn't do this,"

"Why,"

"Because . . .," he started and then stopped before lowering his eyes and whispered, "I can't do this if it is comfort or pity, it will hurt too much tomorrow to go back to friends."

Slowly Lois raised her hands to his face. Holding his face up she forced him to look at her and said, "Clark, I love you"

"But?"

"No buts, Clark, I love you, I have loved you ever since I met you but today I stopped fighting it and knew. I love you Clark Kent."

"You do . . ?"

"Not quite the response I was going for Clark," she smiled at him.

"Lois Lane, I love you," he replied as he looked straight into her eyes, "I have loved you for the longest time."

"Really?"

"Yes, that is what I was coming to tell you when I found Oliver and you."

"Oh Clark, I am so sorry you saw that."

"I'm not as I wouldn't be the person I am now. I would have been forced to leave you regardless and leaving you would have been even more painful for me," he smiled at her before continuing softly "sure the picture still haunts me but it wasn't what you were doing, it was more that you were nearly naked and I thought I would see you looking at me like that."

"Well, think about it, I am sitting on you half naked right now," she grinned saucily at him as she rolled her hips against him.

"ohhhhhhhh" he groaned as he suddenly floated up carrying her with him. He turned off the water and drifted outside the shower. Her legs were astride him as they kissed.

"Clark, I want you to make love to me so bad"

"How bad?"

"Don't play that game with me Clark, just take me to your bedroom and make love to me, please?" she begged softly.

Groaning against her he grabbed a towel and disappeared with her.


	21. Metropolis sharing the pain

CHAPTER 25:

A few hours later Lois was lying on Clark's chest and her fingers were gently drawing circles on his skin. The last few hours had been the most amazing sexual experience of her life. Seriously she didn't think that she had ever been turned on so much in her life and never before had she been so wanton. It certainly helped that Clark seemed to be totally insatiable with an amazing degree of control that just blew her away. 'Not only is he a superman but I get to have super sex', she chortled to herself.

Remembering how she found Clark this evening, she knew that now was the time to bring it up. He seemed so much more relaxed and peaceful and she didn't want to ruin that but she needed him to share with her.

"Clark, are you ok?"

Opening his eyes he smirked at her "You are kidding, right?"

"No, I want to know, are you alright?"

"Lois, I have just found out the woman I have loved for years loves me and we have just had the best sex of my life and you are asking if I am alright? You sure are a strange woman Lois Lane."

"Clark, when I found you, you certainly weren't alright," she replied as her hand stopped moving on her chest and she looked up at his face, "in fact I think you were as far from alright as it gets."

"Lois, I am ok."

"No Clark, it isn't that easy, you need to let me in. I know you think you have to deal with everything yourself, but you have to let me in."

"Lois, you don't want that, trust me."

"Trust you!" she yelped, before continuing softly "Clark I watched you today. I watched as your face became cold and I saw your anger. I saw the pain in your eyes and how no one knew how to reach out to you. We all let Superman be Superman. I have been there before in the aftermath, lean on me Clark I am a big girl."

"That you certainly are," he smirked as his fingers brushed against the side of her breast.

"Watch it buster," she smirked back at him "otherwise they might get taken off you until you talk to me."

"They seem quite comfortable resting on me right now."

"Stop changing the subject, Clark."

"What do you want me to say Lois. That each time I rescued a dead body the only thing I could think was how slow I was. How could I have missed the bomb? Who else will die because I am not there," he said to her with force, "I know I can't be everywhere, but does anyone know what it is like to dig a dead child out of rubble, take that dead child into your arms and hand that child to the parents and you can't show emotion? The only emotion I can show is the detached "Superman" face." 

Lois, didn't say anything but just hugged him with her head on his chest, looking up at his face.

"People look to me to provide them with stability and normality at the worse time of their life. They don't want empathy and emotion from me, they want me to take away the fear that this could happen to them. They need hope that if the situation was reversed and it was them down there, then I would everything in my power to get them out."

"Lois, I heard the crying of the parents and relatives today, every time they recognized the person I carried. They all asked the same question 'Why?' I don't know the answer and as powerful as I am, I can feel so powerless. I hide the pain and helplessness inside with anger. Anger I can control as I have spent my whole life ensuring that I keep my temper. My parents drummed it into me that I must never lose my temper. It is the only emotion I have that can deal with it. It turns me into an angry unfeeling person and I can see people scared of me and I hate that."

"People thank me but no one asks if I am ok. It's like they don't see me as a person but as a symbol. You are the only person who sees the pain, even Chloe sees me as this big hero. No one asks what this costs me and I have learnt over my life that people don't want me to talk about this with them. It's like it is too dark to be shared and I certainly can't share it with a therapist."

"Clark, you are not alone, I am here for you, I have always been here for you."

"I don't know if I want to share it with you Lois, I want a normal life with you, not a life filled with pain and anger."

"Clark if you don't share it with me then you are not sharing your life with me, you will be sharing only part of your life, you have to see that! Let me in, share the pain with me, I want to share your pain. Clark, I love you and that means I want to take away the things that hurt you. You will just hurt me if you don't share the pain. Do you want to hurt me? I never want to find you like that ever again – do you hear me?"

Clark looked down at her, his eyes slightly wide as if he was seeing her for the first time. She felt his arms tighten on her and his face became very serious as he finally let her see the enormous depth of love he had for her in his eyes. It took her breath away. It would have scared her before if she had seen it, but now she welcomed it. Wanting to be close to him, Lois crawled up and sat astride Clark's stomach, put her hands on either side of his shoulders and lowered her face to kiss him.

Lifting her head she looked down into his face and said "I love you," before she kissed him again.


	22. Metropolis Feds?

CHAPTER 26:

"Miss Lane, you are required by Federal Law to tell us!"

"No, I do not have to tell you anything."

"Miss Lane, just tell us what we want and you will be free to go."

"No. Not until you tell me exactly why you want to know."

"Its pretty simple Miss Lane, we are concerned about Superman and we need to contact him."

"You have told me that, you haven't told me exactly what you are concerned about."

The two dark suited men looked at each other and at a slight nod by the obviously senior one, the younger of the two turned back to face her.

"Members of the US Military and Government are concerned about the arrival of a very powerful alien life-force into this world. We would like to talk to Superman to assure ourselves that he means no harm."

"Alien? Why are you using the term Alien?"

"Miss Lane, he is a visitor from another planet. A planet we know nothing about, what his values are or anything."

"He is a person who lives on Earth. He is not an Alien"

"Regardless what you say or write about in your newspaper, we are obligated for the security of the USA and the World to ensure he poses no threat."

"and if he does?"

"We will take steps to ensure the threat doesn't happen."

Lois took a breath and didn't know how to respond. This line of questioning was scaring her. 'I knew I shouldn't have agreed to come down here without Clark, trust me to want to get information on the bombs and end up talking to the Feds', she thought.

She had arrived at work to find a voice message asking her to come down to the Central Police Station to get an update on the investigation into the bombed building. The trail into who had caused the building had slowly petered out over the last 8 weeks. She knew that Clark was concerned. There seemed to be such randomness on the terror activity within the US.

It all started with the Dallas fires, continued with the Metropolis bombing and finished with the New York Airplane computer attack, which caused two Boeing planes engines to stop over New York. Superman had somehow managed to get both planes down to the ground with no loss of life.

Lois was starting to think that it was all scheduled to create maximum terror. Without Superman the sheer cost of life would have been horrendous.

Last night she had woken up to find Clark sitting on the side of her bed with his head in his hands. She asked him what was wrong and he shared with her the strange thing that had happened just before he arrived at her place. He had been flying along slowly just keeping an eye out when he was hit by a strong laser beam. He raced down to the source of the beam and found a tracking laser that was being controlled remotely. As he walked around in front, it shot him again. He was convinced that it was an attack on him, he had no idea who would want to hurt him.

"Miss Lane, excuse me Miss Lane!"

"What"

"Will you please tell us how you contact Superman so we can talk to him."

"Does this have anything to do with the terrorist activity in the US over the last 3 months?" she pointedly asked them directly.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because suddenly we have all this unrest and now you are wanting to talk to Superman."

"Truthfully Miss Lane, as well as discussing our concerns with him, we are also hoping that Superman can give us some insight into how he responds to these activities."

"Ok," she said "but can you guarantee to me that I will be part of the interviewing?"

"Miss Lane, if you contact him then it is imperative that you are there," the more senior agent replied.

"Would you like me to bring him here?"

"No, too many people will wonder what is going on, best we move to our downtown building, where we can talk in private."

"When?" 

"How about we drive over there now and you can invite Superman to join us. Is that acceptable Miss Lane?"

Nodding her head Lois stood up. She wanted Clark to be here now but if it had to be as Superman then that was fine as well. She wished she knew if Clark wanted to talk to these government agents but she was a bit caught. If she refused to do what they wanted then it would strike the government officials that Superman had something to hide.

'Come on girl, you promised yourself that you would protect Clark and seriously he needs to get the government to understand he poses no threat', she thought as she followed the agents down to the car park and prepared herself for the trip across town.

Driving the short distance down to the lower central area of Metropolis, Lois once again considered Clark assumption that he was the target of the laser last night. Highly likely it was just triggered by him flying past. Any plane flying past would have triggered the same response was her thinking.

She had to admit that she was concerned; whenever Clark was worried she knew that she should be worried. Clark was now the most dominant thing in her life. She didn't think that she could love him any more. He was anything and everything she could ever want. The last two months had blown her away at how much her life felt complete.

Previously she would have said that she was happy but now she knew that she was beyond happy. _'Happy, easy to be happy when you are with the man you love through the day and then he spends most of the night blowing your mind,'_ she thought before she grinned to herself and thought _'Sex it should be given another name with Clark, its like out of body experience with a bloody sex god. Body, mind and soul merged into one amazing man; stop thinking Lane serious business afoot, stop turning yourself on. God, Clark looks at me and I am turned on. What is with that, I want to jump him all the time, if he knew, girl he's Superman he knows, no wonder he is ready all the time, ready he is always ready. Whoever knew that Clark Kent was insatiable',_ she thought as the car slowed down and parked outside one of the new warehouse office complexes.

Getting out of the car with the agents she walked with them into the building. "This doesn't look what I imagined a government agency to look like or be located?" she asked.

"Our branch of the Government tries to keep a low profile to allow us to deal with threat with a minimum of fuss. Sometimes it is best that the public don't know some facts, it helps them all sleep easier."

"Well I would have to disagree very strongly, the public always has the right to know exactly what its officials are doing and how the public purse is being spent."

"We will have to agree to disagree Miss Lane. Can you please contact Superman and ask him to meet us here, please."

Stepping back from the two agents, Lois walked over to the window overlooking the street and subvocalised "Superman, can you come and see me. I am with two agents of the Government and they would like to talk to you. I am in no danger so there is no rush, get here when you can."

"Do you have need a phone?"

"No, he will be here shortly," she replied. The two agents looked at her with startled looks before they glanced at each other. She would have given anything know what that glance meant. Sitting down on one of the chairs in the room, Lois took the opportunity to look around. It was an ordinary office, with a desk, chairs and a couple of filing cabinets in the corner. Nothing indicated that it was a government office. Unless you called the picture of the president behind the desk, official government issue.

Lois smiled as she saw Clark's reflection in the window as he arrived outside the building. Floating outside the window his eyes looked directly into hers and she smiled and nodded back at him. It seemed to reassure him as he smiled his Superman smile back, _'I hate it when he smiles that smile at me, I could be anyone'_ she thought before she heard one of the agents walk down to the door to escort Superman up into the office.

As usual his arrival in a room made her temperature and heart race. Even now she couldn't believe how attracted to him she was.

The more senior of the two agents, walked across and shook Clark's hand and thanked him for coming to talk to them. He invited Clark to sit down and they started to discuss how the Government and US Military wanted to start a dialogue with him to ensure that any concerns the Government had about him could be answered. After what Lois took to be a very nice and pointless conversation the agents invited Superman to have a tour of the building, as there were several items they would like his opinion on.

After looking at Lois, Clark agreed. They walked down the stairs and into the warehouse complex. It was filled with what looked like complete junk to Lois but the agents seemed to walk through the main part of the building without looking around or inviting Clark to look at anything. They entered the door to a smaller complex. The hiss of the air-conditioning greeted them as they entered into an air sealed room.

"Superman, over the years, this department has collected elements from around the world. Each element enclosed within these rooms is of unknown origin and we are convinced they are either of Alien origin or space junk. We would like to see if you recognize any of them and if they are dangerous to anyone, are you willing to do that?"

"Ok, but may I request that Miss Lane not be part of this as they could be detrimental to her."

"Piss off big boy," she whispered under her breath. She caught his smile start to happen before he stopped it and looked sternly at the two agents and her.

"Rest assure Superman we have been in contact with all these elements for quite some time and all our research and medical testing have shown no adverse effects on human beings."

Looking at her, Lois knew Clark was dying to tell her to leave but she knew he wasn't going to give anyone any indication that Superman and Lois Lane were anything but casual acquaintances. She couldn't resist saying to him "I will do exactly what I want to Superman, you know it and unless you are going to pick me up and carry me there is no way you can stop me." She knew that internally he was now laughing his head off but his face never changed before he turned to face the agents and asked them to continue.

They walked through the first door and slowly made their way past a series of objects on the tables. At each object Clark stopped and stared intently before he shook his head and moved on. A couple of times he informed the agents of the make up of the elements and they scribbled some notes on the pages in front of them.

Clark stood aside to let Lois and the two agents go first into the next room. As he stepped across the threshold into the room he gasped and shuddered. Lois heard him and spun around and saw him sagging against the door. His face was green and he looked in pain. She had seen that look before on Clark, kryptonite was in this room. The agents were looking on with sharp gazes as she noticed the three rocks just inside the door were glowing green near him. Without saying anything Lois stepped forward and threw the three rocks to the other end of the room. Clark stood up straight and took a deep breath.

"What was that?" asked the junior agent looking closely at Clark.

"It was nothing, I just suddenly didn't feel so well, that's all," Clark said before he looked over at Lois. "Shall we continue?"

Smiling at him she took his arm in a friendly gesture and started to walk with him down the room. "Lean on me as we get close," she whispered to him. Walking along the elements in the room Clark ignored, with everything he had, the feeling of pain in his body. As they came closer and closer to the end of the room where the kryptonite was he leant on Lois more and more. She supported him and to the agents watching it looked like they were just looking closely at the elements, before Lois opened the door and they stepped into the next room.

The rest of the visit went without a hitch and finally Lois and Clark seemed to have satisfied all the questions of the agents and they left.

Clark glanced back and noticed that both the agents were looking at them so without saying anything he picked up Lois, waved back to the agents and took off with her. He flew until he was out of sight and then he landed heavily and dropped her to the ground and started to take deep breaths.

"Clark, are you ok"

"I need to get up into the sun, I will be right back," he replied before he shot quickly up into the sky.

Lois didn't like the idea that agents of the government where suddenly aware that something out there could make Superman feel sick. It made her feel sick to the stomach.


	23. Gotham The bat and Blue

CHAPTER 27:

"Mr Wayne there is a Clark Kent here to talk to you. He doesn't have an appointment but he is very insistent on seeing you," Melanie asked.

"It's ok Melanie, show him through." Bruce replied into the intercom.

"Bruce so good to see you again."

"Hi Clark, what brings you to Gotham?"

"Bruce, I need help. I have been tracking the terrorist events over the last 6 months and I am convinced it is not the work of terrorists."

"Clark, we need to go somewhere else to talk about this, but let me tell you this that I believe you are correct."

Walking towards the elevator Bruce glanced over at Clark, he certainly looked uncomfortable and Bruce decided it was time to clear the air. "You know Clark, I am really happy for you and Lois. You two were always going to make an amazing couple."

"Thank you for that. You have to know Bruce, that I never wanted my feelings for Lois to split you two up. I never ever gave her any reason to know my feelings while she was with you. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Clark, from the moment Lois laid eyes on you, when you came back, I knew that my time with her was coming to an end. Lois and I had a good time but that's all it was, we were never going to be anything more as she was waiting for someone and it wasn't me. Now I know it's you."

"Strange, I thought I was always going to be alone and I am accepted it and I never would have said anything or even attempted to let Lois know how I feel about her. That woman has a way of just smashing through what I want to give me what I need and Bruce I need her. She helps me survive, you of all people know what I mean."

Arriving on the roof, Bruce waited until they were belted into the Wayne helicopter before answering, "I know what you mean but not all of us are lucky to find that person. Lois Lane is one in a million."

"Clark, are you afraid of flying?" Bruce asked with a smile as he noticed how hard Clark was gripping the armrests "you are the last person to be afraid of anything."

"I hate flying when it isn't me flying, even I have fears, irrational or otherwise, so stop laughing. I am not the one who dresses up as a flying rodent."

"No you are the one who dresses in a flag," laughed Bruce as he dipped the controls of the helicopter and watched Clark grip the armrest so hard he crushed the metal under the material, "easy with the toys Clark, they aren't cheap."

"It's not like you can't afford it you big tech-mad billionaire," replied Clark but he did make a really conscious decision to clam down. He didn't realize that his Superman persona came over his face but Bruce did. All the humour of the situation left Bruce and his own dark persona took over. Nothing more was said between them until they were standing in the cave underneath Wayne Manor.

"Who do you think is committing these terrorists activities, Clark?"

"Well after investigating each of the instances I have come to the conclusion that each one was the work of highly trained professionals. We both know that terrorists are not highly trained; they are overly enthusiastic but never highly trained. The most highly trained people they have are never put at risk when there are so many followers prepared to commit suicide. The highly trained ones are too valuable for that."

"I agree. I have been investigating the same activities and my conclusions match yours. To go further I think we might be watching highly trained professionals from a foreign government commit these crimes."

"Bruce, I think it is the work of the US Military."

"What makes you think that Clark, I am not saying you are wrong but what evidence do you have?"

"Well, each time it has been timed . . .," Clark stopped as he turned his head and listened before he suddenly was moving saying "Bruce, I have to go, Lois is in trouble," before he disappeared out of the cave with a sonic boom.


	24. Metropolis the taking

CHAPTER 28:

"Superman, help me," she screamed as she tried to hold the arm of her attacker who was trying to stab her. She was desperately trying to find some leverage but the black-clad man who had attacked her was certainly no beginner and every one of her fighting tricks was having very little effect on him.

Her attacker slowly forced her back into the corner of the warehouse before he leg swept her and threw her onto her back. Without thought she watched as the knife in his hand raced down for her throat. As she closed her eyes she waited for the knife to cleave her skin she knew that this time she had done the stupidest thing in her life.

She felt a huge wind above her before she was stunned by a very heavy weight that hit her. Opening her eyes she looked up at the heavy weight and couldn't believe that the first thing she saw was the red crest of Superman. He was lying on top of her and he wasn't moving.

She slid out from under Superman but stopped as she saw a squad of black-clad soldiers move out from the shadows.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded, sitting up she looked down at Clark wondering why he wasn't moving. His skin was green and his entire body was curled up in a ball. Her attacker was lying in the corner where Clark had thrown him and his neck was obviously broken but that didn't explain why Clark was not moving.

The soldiers moved forward without saying anything and Lois suddenly found herself being grabbed by a pair of them and dragged away. She started to fight, slamming her foot down into the instep of one of them and throwing her elbow into the other. She had just about got away when her hair was grabbed from behind and a gun was shoved into her face, "Stop fighting Miss Lane, we have no reason to kill you, do not change that."

"It's you, what the hell is going on. I demand you answer me."

"Miss Lane, its time for you to leave."

"I am not going anywhere and leaving Superman with you."

"You have no choice, Miss Lane, this has the authorization of the Government. So please step aside and let us do our jobs."

"You have got to be kidding, I will not step aside and you will tell me exactly what is going on here."

At a signal from the man talking to her, another two soldiers stepped forward and dragged Lois back. As she was screaming at them she heard a forklift come into the warehouse and watched it lift up the floor Superman was lying on. The entire underneath of the floor was green. Clark was lying on kryptonite. He had come racing in so fast to save her he hadn't realized it was there until it was way too late.

Realising that this was an entire set-up to catch Clark, Lois knew there was no way she could let Clark out of her sight. Quietening down she relaxed her body but her eyes were as sharp as razors as she looked around for a chance to get him out of there. Turning her head she watched as a truck backed into the warehouse and the back opened up. The inside of the truck was green and the piece of the floor that Clark was lying on, slid into the back of the truck and the door was slammed shut on him.

"Let me go with you, please, I will be quiet, let me go with you, I promise I will be no trouble, he is my friend," she begged with fear evident in her voice.

"Because he is your friend Miss Lane you aren't allowed to come."

"Where are you taking him?"

"That's classified!"

"Classified, you have captured him and he is in agony, you don't have the right to say Classified. This is America and citizens have the right to be safe from Government agencies."

"Miss Lane he is not an American citizen, he isn't even human so US law doesn't apply to him"

"What are you going to do with him?" she demanded

"That's classified!"

"How will I be able to see him?" she yelled getting very desperate.

"That's classified. Miss Lane, Superman, is a danger to Earth and we have been ordered to neutralise him. He is now under the jurisdiction of the US Government."

Stepping away from her he started to walk towards the cab of the truck. Lois started to scream and fight against the two soldiers holding her. She felt like her life was ending and she was going to fight until the end. "I will expose the whole lot of you," she screamed at him. She stopped yelling as he stopped and then watched him turn around and come towards her.

"Miss Lane, I suggest you do not do that. I suggest that you forget that you saw this and you never mention this to anyone. As far as you are concerned this didn't happen."

"I will never stop trying to expose you. Superman is a good man and you are treating him as a criminal."

"He is a criminal and he is no longer a concern of yours. Goodbye Miss Lane. Do not make me come to regret that you were not neutralized as well."

Taking advantage of the fact the soldiers holding her had relaxed a bit during this conversation, Lois lunched forward at the agent and punched him. She followed up with her knee slamming into his groin. She tried to grab him around the neck and place him in a neck lock but a knee slammed into the middle of her back and she was hit over the head with the butt of a gun. Fighting to stay conscious, she knew she couldn't lose sight of Clark, or she might never see him again. She started to crawl forward towards the truck but she was clubbed unconscious.


	25. Metropolis the telling

CHAPTER 29:

Slowly coming back to consciousness, Lois started to fight against any enemies before her eyes came into focus and she knew she was alone. She started to panic, but knew it wouldn't help as she had a very short time to get on the track of the men who captured Superman.

Walking unsteadily out of the warehouse to her car, she searched for her phone and finally found it behind her car, smashed to pieces. Her car keys were missing and she decided to stop looking and get as quickly as possible to somewhere she could get hold of the Police.

Four hours later, Lois was finally coming to the realization that they were dealing with professionals. The police had found nothing that could indicate who they were or where they had taken Superman. She wasn't even sure if the Police even believed her story. The soldiers had removed anything that could be used to track them and the entire warehouse was a complete clean sweep.

Lois was running totally out of options and she hadn't even considered what she was going to do. She needed to keep running on passion and anger and she was not going to stop until she had Clark back with her. She was totally scared for him as the coldness in the voice of the agent terrified her. She knew that Clark was in agony and she had no idea what they were going to do to him.

Finally the police sergeant came over and explained that there was nothing more they could do and if they heard or found anything new they would let her know. She nodded at him, she didn't think she could say anything, without totally breaking down and walked away.

Flagging a taxi down she decided to head back to the Daily Planet and start to use its vast resources to help track them down. Walking into the bullpen, her face still ashen from the encounter and feeling sick that Clark was now being held, she was not prepared to face her colleagues. _'How can the world be so calm and everyone unconcerned, don't they know Superman has been arrested, oh Clark, please God don't let him be hurt, if they hurt him I swear I will kill them all,' _she thought as she walked into Perry's office without knocking.

"Lois? You ok, you look terrible."

"Chief, they have taken Superman,"

"Who has?"

"Government Agents have arrested Superman,"

"On what charges, Lois focus, talk to me, on what charges?"

Shaking her head Lois replied, "It's classified and they are not saying anything?"

"Who are they?"

"I don't know, they said they are Government agents."

"Did you get any I.D., what branch of the Government are they?"

"I don't know, I don't remember, Perry don't you think I have been wracking my brain, but right from the start they just said Government, I just don't know, I just don't know," Lois replied as she started to cry.

"Lois, it's ok, don't cry, we can find out all we need to know, we will find him I promise. Get Clark and let's start going through all our Government contacts?"

"Clark, um . . . Clark wanted me to tell you that he had to chase down a contact . . . He could be a while."

"Well, this is bigger news, get him back here and lets start finding out what's going on. Why don't you start with your father?"

Walking back to her desk Lois felt numb, numb was bad, she needed the anger back. She sat down at her desk and picked up the phone and dialed her father's number with reluctance. Her history with him was not the best and she didn't want to have a huge lecture right about now but Perry was right, if anyone could find out classified information it would be General Sam Lane.

She decided to use one of the private conference rooms, as she didn't want any of her conversations to be overheard. The last thing they needed was for this information to get out in the public arena just yet.

Her father was pleased to hear from her and for once the conversation seemed to be without rancor. It probably helped that she was so worried about Clark that she wasn't abrasive with him. He agreed to discretely ask around and see if anyone had any information about Superman. He wanted to know why she was so concerned so she had to tell him that the Government agents had used her for bait to lure Superman. That annoyed him and he promised Lois that he would do whatever he could to find out the information she was after. Lois said goodbye and hung up.

She didn't want to make the next call but she knew there was no way she could avoid it. She needed to get the inner workings of the Federal Government to help the search so picking up the phone she dialed.

"Senator Kent's Office, how may I help you?"

"Can I please talk to the Senator, tell her it is Lois Lane."

"Hold a moment please,"

"Lois, what a pleasant surprise, how are you?"

"Mrs Kent, I don't know how to tell you this but Superman has been arrested by Government agents," she said, as she looked out the window and wondered why the sky was so dull.

"WHAT!!! Superman arrested, on what grounds?"

So Lois repeated to Martha everything that had happened since she walked into the warehouse. Martha was angry, yet calm, and had Lois repeat everything so that she could get as many facts as she possible. They both knew that whichever Government agency had arrested Superman then it would need to have official sanction and she was the perfect person to track down the agency. As Lois hung up the phone, the shrill ringing of her mobile jolted her. Looking at the caller ID Lois was surprised to see it was Bruce.

"Bruce, now is not a good time."

"Why hello to you too Lois,"

"Bruce, seriously now is not a good time," she said as she went to hang up.

"Lois, what's wrong?"

Stopping herself from hanging up Lois replied "Bruce its not something that I want the world to know. Someone has been arrested and I need to help him."

"Is it Clark?"

"No"

"Who is it? I can help, I can get a lawyer over right now to help you get your friend out of jail."

"Bruce, thank you for the offer but I am not sure that even your lawyers can help me here."

"Lois, who has been arrested and what are the charges, you can trust me I promise, I wont talk to anyone else about it, but I care for you and I want to help, let me help you?"

"It's Superman, he's been arrested by Government agents," she said.

"What!!!" he spoke with a cold tone. She could almost feel the anger coming down the line from Bruce. He harshly asked her to explain everything, so once again she went through the entire episode again. Bruce's questioning of the facts was insatiable and she was surprised at his single-minded focus on the smallest details. She felt like she was getting an interrogation. It was something she had never heard from Bruce before but it made her realize that she needed to get herself into gear and start to ask the hard questions as well. Getting off the phone she started to organize and plan her investigation.

'_I will find you Clark and I will get you out of there if it is the last thing I do in this life'_ she promised herself.

_Please review. _

_From here on in story is going to get dark . . . so be warned._


	26. Metropolis Batman

CHAPTER 30:

Bruce lowered himself to the floor of the warehouse his head swiveling to ensure that he was alone. Stepping onto the floor, he started to look around. He knew that the police had gone over everything with a fine toothcomb but there was nothing like getting the feel of a place. He needed to backtrack everything that happened and he only had the information Lois and what the hacked police report gave him.

After two days of dead ends with no one coming up with any information on who took Superman and no press release from the Government, Bruce knew that this was either buried very deep or it was not a Government agency they were dealing with.

Historically the best way to get information out of the Government was as Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises and one of the wealthiest men in the US who was a major contributor to both political parties. Politicians were always open around a man who could greatly hinder their ability to run for office. All the politicians and lackeys that he had contacted had after two days of searching come up blank.

Crouching down he focused his night scope on the area of the floor that had been removed. It had been made to look weather beaten and old but all the under support was very new. He pulled out a power screwdriver and started to collect screws and pieces of the new floor to analyze. He knew his best chance of tracking down the creator of this elaborate trap lay in finding the source of the building elements, the contractors who installed it and where they managed to find so much kryptonite._ 'Kryptonite, very nasty stuff, when it comes to Clark. Someone knew his weakness and they used it against him. How they knew is the question and who knows will provide the answer,_' he thought as he picked up a very small sliver of Kryptonite that was lying in the hole.

Putting his head down he changed the focus on his night scope to ultra-violet and shone his ultra-violet torch into the hole. The first thing he noticed was a smear of blood that had been scrubbed in an attempt to hide it. Under the violet light it was as clear as day to Bruce's sight. The amount and angle of the smear made it clear, that when installing the floor, someone had either cut or scrapped a part of their body against a sharp edge. Bruce took out a sterile swipe pad and took a sample of the blood so he could analyse it for DNA and other anomalies.

Pulling out a small spray bottle Bruce lay down on his back in the hole and looked around for an area that would have needed to be handled yet would be difficult to clean after installation. Spying a small alcove in the corner of the building Bruce wriggled his way under the floor and sprayed the area with a very fine powder. The ultra-violet light instantly picked up a couple of fingerprints right behind the edge of the bracing. Any fingerprints that were anywhere else in the spray pattern had obviously been wiped clean. Taking out a piece of sticky acetate Bruce lifted both fingerprints and stored them in his belt.

Changing the focus of his night-vision through the colour spectrum and then under magnification, Bruce took his time inspecting the area. If there was anything the police had missed he was going to find it. Taking a risk he shone his torch under the floor and took a last look with magnification turned up to its highest level. A glint caught his eye down in the rubbish under the floor; he wriggled his way under to see what it was.

He smiled for the first time in two days when he found a brand new shiny button; he knew that no matter how much evidence had been planted to derail an investigation, a button that had been snapped off would provide him with the most accurate sample, as no one wipes a button clean as they don't expect to lose it.

Lifting himself out of the hole, Bruce took a final look around. He imagined how the floor had been created and how it had been inserted into this particular part of the warehouse. He started to accurately gauge how long it would have taken to manufacture, install and remove the floor. With a much clearer idea of how the trap had been created and with new avenues of investigation open to him, Bruce knew it was time to pay Lois a visit.

Lois was standing waiting for the coffee machine to finish when she realized that a complete hush had fallen over the bullpen. At this time of night there weren't too many people working but still a hush was very rare in the bullpen. Turning around she gasped as she noticed Batman standing in the doorway of one of the conference rooms. Catching her eye he signaled up and disappeared back into the conference room. People rushed to catch a glimpse of him but he had already disappeared out the window. Lois unobtrusively snuck out of the bullpen and took the next elevator to the roof.

Stepping out on the roof, Lois looked around and didn't see anyone. She walked right around the roof once and never saw Batman. Just as she decided that she must have been mistaken she screamed as a hard voice called her name behind her. Whirling around she saw the silhouette of Batman in the shadows.

"Miss Lane, we need to talk," he growled

Thrusting her head up she walked steadily towards him and replied "About what?"

"Superman"

At hearing his name Lois's mind sped up. "Superman! Ok, I am listening Batman."

"He's missing and I need to know what you have found out about his disappearance," he growled as he faded further back into the shadows. _'Lois is sharp and it wont take her long to piece together the fact that Batman and Bruce are the same person, if she sees me clearly,'_ he thought to himself.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Miss Lane, I have been a friend of Superman's longer that you would believe. He is like a brother to me," he replied as he noticed the pain on her face, "Miss Lane, I will find whoever did this and they will answer fully to me."

Lois jumped a bit hearing such a assured strong threat in his voice _'damn he is a scary mother,_' she thought _'but I am so glad he is on Clark's side, how does he know Clark, super hero union or something. Something to think about once I get Clark back with me.'_

Lois proceeded to tell Batman that no matter which way her investigation had gone, no one would either admit or could find any information on Superman. Her Senator and Army connections had found nothing. She didn't think that Batman needed to know that Senator Kent was Superman's mother _'this is so hard, without the secret, I have no idea who knows and who doesn't,'_ she thought as she outlined each of the dead ends she had encountered.

As she finished she asked, "So what do we do now?"

"We! We do nothing Miss Lane, I will be in contact if I need any information or find anything."

"Listen here you psycho, this is Superman we are talking about, he is my friend, I care about what happens to him, I will certainly be helping you to find him and if you don't let me I will still do whatever I need to do to get him back, deal with that Batman!" she glared at him.

"Goodbye for now Miss Lane," he said before he took a step and leapt off the parapet of the building and disappeared from sight.

Gliding across the night sky, Bruce had a big smile on his face as he thought about how nothing in this world would freak out Lois Lane. She really was the perfect partner for Clark and now it was up to him to find out who had taken Clark and bring him back to her.


	27. PAIN

CHAPTER 31

He didn't want to move.

If he moved the pain would start.

Pain, it was such a simple word but one that encapsulated his nightmare.

He wasn't used to pain, it was something he had never had to get used to.

If he moved they would know he was awake

Awake they would run more of their tests on him

The tests that left blood running down his skin from the cuts

The cuts that never healed whilst surrounded by so much green

If he moved the cutting would start again

He didn't know how much longer he could survive

He could feel how weak he was becoming

Each day brought a new horror as he was examined like a lab rat

If he moved the cold faces of the men would return

He had started out hating these men

He now feared to hear the slightest sound

When they talked about taking their next sample, his soul screamed

"He's awake . . .


	28. Metropolis Running the details

CHAPTER 32:

The world's greatest detective was making progress. Bruce had tracked down the name of the owner of the fingerprints he had found inside the warehouse. He was an ex-army engineer who had been dishonorably discharged 10 years ago for stealing from army supplies. His name was Clint Fisk and he had joined an engineering firm after leaving the army and had not changed his ways. He had been found in possession of stolen goods and been convicted of theft and sentenced to 7-year stretch in jail.

2 years ago he had been released and had disappeared from sight. There was no further record of employment or residency within the US. Either he had taken a new identity or had moved abroad. So Bruce had started a painstaking search through banks of computer records for any mention of Clint Fisk, engineers, stolen property, ex-army and had started a cross-referencing search-spider to troll through the results.

The results had confirmed Bruce's suspicions that Clint Fisk was no longer in the US. He had turned up in Somalia building a very secure compound just outside Mogadishu. The compound was built for a shell company that no longer existed. Bruce had then hacked into the CIA's satellite imaging network and downloaded any images of the area that included the compound. From the images he started to cross-reference them against each other and a very clear picture of why the compound was built. Over a period of 6 months the compound was a distribution point for arms and munitions.

Trucks would arrive in the middle of the night, unload and then leave the compound before the dawn. Over the next few months, groups of small trucks would line up outside the compound and one by one they were let into the heavily armed compound, loaded up and released.

It had become clear to Bruce that Colin Fisk was either working for a very "black" government agency or one of the very big independent arms suppliers. Bruce had been getting nowhere with the answer to that until he got to the very last set of images and saw over a period of time the compound quickly being abandoned.

That night a group of helicopters had floated overhead and dropped soldiers into the compound. The soldiers were definitely an elite unit, possibly SAS or Rangers, due to their 4-man squad combinations. It was obvious, to Bruce, that the soldiers were current Army and not a mercenary or hired force.

That made two things clear. Firstly the compound had been advised of the raid prior to it commencing which showed either serious intelligence or a high government leak. Secondly the compound was not part of any official US or British Army command, therefore making it unlikely it would be a US government agency. After 9/11 the army and CIA had worked extremely close due to Homeland Security pressure.

Bruce's contact at the very top of the CIA was not likely to lie to him. This was due to the help Batman had given him and his family in extraditing them from a very dangerous situation. The two of them had been helping each other for a while and they had built up a high level of trust. So unless there was a very deep black covert agency within the US Government that absolutely no one knew about, it was highly unlikely that the abduction of Clark was officially sanctioned by any Government agency.

So whom was Clint Fisk working for and how and when had he arrived back in the US? Bruce had conducted a complete identification scan against the tapes he accessed from the main international ports of call. It had taken 4 days for all the tapes to be run against the scanned images he had of Clint Fisk. Finally an unmistakable image of Clint Fisk was shown entering the US through JFK 3 months ago.

The timestamp on the film allowed Bruce to backtrack time. He was able to bracket the 40 flights within a reasonable time period that would have given Clint time to arrive, disembark, collect luggage and work his way to customs where he had been photographed.

The passengers manifesto list of each of those 40 flights took some time to collect. Each of the airlines had various levels of security but in the end Bruce managed to collate the entire lists. There was no Clint Fisk listed on any flight but that didn't surprise Bruce. He started a search program on the lists to cross-reference any abnormalities or pattern in the lists of arrivals for that day.

8 of the flights had originated from various destinations in Europe. Within those 8 flights there were at 158 men with tickets brought as singles. Bruce catalogued the individuals who had paid by cash, personal and company credit card, frequent flyer miles, stated occupation, previous ports of call and set an age bracket of 20-50 years of age. The list of possible men was down to 38. Each of the 38 he put through a complete computer search using the names given on their passports and who had paid for them.

After another day of painstaking analytical work Bruce had finally hit pay dirt. 7 of the men had flown from various airports throughout Europe. Their passports had either not be used for quite a while or they were still within a year of issue. Each of the 7's flight tickets had been purchased by a subsidiary or different Shell Company of a Grand Cayman based company called GRP Industries.

With the 7 names recognized, one of who had to be Clint Fisk, Bruce started a US wide search on whether any of the names had been used as identification to rent accommodation, purchase anything or be on any police radar. Whilst that search was being conducted Bruce started to investigate GRP Industries.

GRP was a very serious player in the black and open market for arms shipments, recruitment of ex Special Forces personnel, personal protection, with some very serious international players and Governments involved. Hidden deep within their computer system under the strongest encryption and protocol protection currently available he finally found what he was looking for.

GRP had a vast experimental program up and running to create and sell battle drugs, genetic enhancement drugs and synthetic applications to assist soldiers to wage war. Each of the experimental programs made Bruce more convinced he was on the right track. Working his way through each of the programs he found a file that was simply titled "The Future".

Opening it Bruce knew that time was running out. It catalogued the creation of genetically superior super-soldiers. The file explained the abduction and testing of various individuals who had shown a propensity to excel physically. The refinement of the testing process was detailed. The last entries in the file had Bruce shivering.

10678: Subject acquired and under control

10679: Subject non-compliance has necessitated stronger restraints

10680: Subject's first samples have shown strong promise

10681: Subject if left too close to the element for any period suffers strong unstable signs

10682: Subject recovery from fourth sample recovery is sluggish

10683: Subject's overall disposition is poor

10684: Subject's resuscitation was successful

10685: Subject to be given time to recover, if deterioration occurs all samples to be removed immediately

Bruce knew that he had to be patient as he needed a definite starting point to investigate but time was of the essence now. _'Clark you have to hold on, I'm coming but you have to hold on. If you die I promise you that I won't rest until each of them lives their own nightmare,' _Bruce thought with his teeth clenched as he kept refining his search.

_Please review . . ._


	29. Metropolis the Removal

CHAPTER 33:

Batman was standing still as a statue on the top of the building. He was waiting, he was angry and he was ready to dish out retribution to those who would hurt his friend. It had been three weeks since Clark's abduction and today Batman had finally found the missing piece to start to rattle some cages.

He was waiting for the man who called himself Charlie Fedora, aka Clint Fisk. Once he knew the assumed names of the seven men he had started to stalk the night streets of Metropolis. The lowlifes of Metropolis were running scared as over the last week he had threatened and beaten information out of them. Batman knew that the information he was refining would need verification of a visual sighting.

Tonight he had threatened a fence and had received the information he needed. The fence knew who Clint Fisk was as he had had dealings with him before he went to jail. Two nights ago, Clint who was trying to offload some stolen merchandise, had approached the fence. The fence was so scared of Batman that he told him everything. _'Once a crook, always a crook,'_ thought Bruce.

The fence informed Batman that Clint was going to be coming back tonight. Batman was now waiting. He grimly smiled to himself as he caught the first glimpse of his quarry as he rounded the corner. Clint looked back behind him, checking for tails. _'They never look up,'_ he thought as he stepped off the building and descended on Clint. Without warning he landed behind him in a swirl of noise, hit him just behind the ear, shot his grapping line up and took back up into the air with the unconscious Clint in his arms.

Clint woke up feeling very light headed. As his eyes opened he wondered why the world seemed so wrong. His eyes shot open wide as he realized he was hanging upside down off a building. A very dark face suddenly appeared in his face. Without any warning Batman punched him square in the forehead, making him swing. At the apex of the swing he realized how far it was to the ground.

Batman proceeded to extract information from Clint, through fair and foul means. He was in no mood to be easy as the life of his friend was at risk. Once he had extracted a location from Clint he called in his night-viper. Strapping Clint securely into the back he took off towards the outskirts of Metropolis.

In the huge industrial park, called Metropark, Batman hovered the viper over a secure warehouse compound. Grabbing a handful of Clint's hair he dragged him forward to look out the window "is this the place?" he growled.

"Yes,"

"What part of the building is he being held?"

"I don't really know, all we did was drive here and leave him here."

"If you are lying to me, I will be back and this time there will be no line on you as you fall from this viper. Do you understand me?"

"Yeeess"

"What part of the building is he in?"

"The lab is in the middle of the building and the secure rooms connect to it on the North and East walls, that's all I know, I promise," he begged.

Smiling grimly at Clint, Batman inserted a needle into his neck and put him to sleep. Pressing the button to remove the canopy Batman stepped out onto the wing of the viper. As the wind buffeted him, his cape swirled behind him and if anyone had looked up he would have looked like an avenging dark angel.

Putting his nightscope on he ran the colour spectrum across the building. The security system was intensive with infra-red beams attached to the cameras and alarms. Batman plotted his course through the alarms. If he had time he would have searched for a complete plan of the building but he didn't know how long he had. He was going to have to wing it and if it got messy he would just have to smash his way through.

Dropping off the viper, he started to glide down to land between the infra-red beams. Crouching on the roof he started to search for a way in. The easiest way seemed to be entry via a ventilation shaft but with the added security across the building the easiest way was quite often the worst way. Silently unscrewing the screws that connected one of the roof panels to the bracing, he paused to look around before he shifted the panel up and slid down into the false cavity of the building.

Bracing himself against the inner ceiling structure, Batman worked his way throughout the building. He was trying to ascertain the building plan and occupants but finally he had to give up and moved to the centre of the building. Connecting his weight line to the roof bracket, he lowered himself to dangle over one of the ceiling panels. Drilling a small hole through the ceiling panel, Batman lowered a fibre-optic camera and looked into the corridor. Seeing no one around he lifted the ceiling panel and dropped down to the floor.

He was in, now he just had to find Clark. Moving swiftly to the nearest door he opened it up to find an empty room. In the room was a bed with restraining straps. The room looked like it hadn't been used in a while, but it was a very sterile environment and looked ready for the next patient. Creeping towards the opposite door, he softly unlatched it and looked through into an airlock. He opened the door far enough to slip through and crept forward to look through the panels of the sealed door.

Without thought Batman burst through the doors and like a whirlwind smashed into the men standing around the operating table that had Clark spread-eagled on it. With a fluidity and strength born of desperation and anger Bruce took no care to ensure he didn't permanently hurt anyone. He hit them as hard as he had hit anyone and the breaking of bones and moans of pain were a symphony to him as he danced amongst them. With a swift elbow strike to the neck he put the last man down. Walking amongst them quickly he ensured none of them would wake up soon with placed kicks and punches.

Turning to the table he couldn't believe the state of Clark, he was naked and he had unhealed cuts and wounds all over his body. A long cut ran from his throat to the bottom of his rib cage and it was obvious at some stage they had peeled the skin back off his chest. He had deep bruising over most of his body, even around his testicles. Bruce gently lifted the bandage that was on the side of his head and grimaced as he saw where they had drilled a hole into his skull and they had left it open.

Bruce found the bandages and tightly bound as many of the wounds as he could find. Getting Clark out of here was going to be difficult due to his state. Thinking quickly he wheeled the trolley back through the room into the corridor. Gently taking Clark into his arms he shot his grappling hook up into the ceiling bracket and lifted Clark into the ceiling cavity. There was no way he would be able to get Clark into the viper without setting off every alarm but there was no choice. He just had to hope that Clark could cope with it.

Standing with Clark in his arms, Bruce knew that this was going to have to be quick. With a grimace he rested Clark against a strut, ignoring the agonizing moan that issued from Clark's mouth. "Hang on Clark, you have to be quiet, it's me Bruce," he whispered.

Slipping back out the unscrewed part of the roof, Bruce quickly worked to unscrew the rest of the panel. He was going to have to remove the panel completely to get Clark out of there. Pulling the sheet up slowly didn't prevent a very loud screech as the panel separated from the rest of the roof. Not worrying about the noise, he tore the panel clear and leapt back down and picked Clark up. Calling down the viper, he waited impatiently for the line to extend underneath the viper.

He could hear guards running throughout the complex, looking down he knew it were only time until the guards came across the trolley and the ceiling panel sitting out. With incredibly slowness the cable eventually came down for him to grab. Hooking himself and Clark tightly to the cable he ordered the viper to get them out of there.


	30. Race to the East

CHAPTER 34:

"Hello," Lois groggily answered her cell phone.

"I have him,"

Lois's eyes sprang open "Batman"

"Yes, I have him, he is in a really bad way. If you want to help you need to get to the roof of your apartment building now!" he replied.

Lois threw herself out of her bed and quickly got into a pair of jeans, boots and a warm sweatshirt and raced up the stairs of her apartment building. _'Oh my God, he has found him, really bad way, how bad is he? Clark, please don't be hurt too bad, why the roof?' _she thought before pushing open the door to the roof. Running around the roof she didn't see anyone and she screamed in frustration, "Batman where the hell are you?"

"Lois," he called from above her. Looking up into the night sky Lois could see Batman standing on the wing of a hovering plane. "Grab the line and I will lift you up," he called down to her.

Lois saw the line swinging from the base of the plane. Reaching up she pulled it down towards her and slid her foot into the hook at the base and signaled with her arm that she was ready. Slowly, too slow for her, the line retracted and pulled her up towards the plane. As she arrived at the plane Batman extended his arm and pulled her onto the wing and without any comment led her to the back cockpit of the viper and showed her Clark.

The moment Lois saw him she burst into tears. The long weeks of worry and the agony of the unknown coupled with the state of his body was too much for her. Batman took her into his arms and held her for a second before he let her go and said "Lois, he needs us, you have to stay very strong right now, it is going to be touch and go and he needs you to be strong for him. Clark needs you."

"Clark! How did you know? Doesn't matter we can talk about it later." Lois shook herself and nodded before she walked towards Clark. "What do we do now?"

"We have to get him into the Sun and we have to do it now!" he replied, "I need you to hold him as I race towards the rising sun. He is in total shock and he is barely with us." Walking forward he lifted Clark very gently and indicated to Lois that she needed to slip in behind Clark. Lois lifted herself behind Clark and opened her legs to allow Clark to sit between her legs and his back against her chest.

"Lois if there is any deterioration in any of his vitals you need to tell me immediately. I will go as fast as I can but it is going to be a couple of hours before we can get him into the sun."

"Ok, I have him, please go Batman."

Without another word, Batman hit the overdrive and the viper took off like the bird of prey it resembled. Lois was hugging Clark back to her with her head resting against his, talking softly to him. She repeated over and over how much she loved him, how much she had missed him, how her life was incomplete without him.

Clark started to shake in her arms, a deep moan coming from him. Lois wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him. The tighter she held him the more he seemed to shake and the shaking was starting bruise her. Lois had no choice but to unwrap her arms and legs from around him and just let him lie against her. Her hands started to gently rub his skin. Under her fingers and palms she could feel the ridges and cuts on his skin and tears started to run down her face. No matter where she put her hands he seemed to be hurt. Her soft voice and the gentleness of her hands seemed to calm him down.

"Oh Clark what did they do to you, my poor baby, I love you, I am here now, everything is going to be alright, I wont let anyone hurt you anymore," she whispered in his ear. His body seemed to relax and he turned his head and put his face into the hollow of her neck. Her hands continued to stroke him gently.

"Batman, how did you know Clark was Superman?"

"Lois, that is something that Clark needs to tell you, but as I said we have been friends for a long time and we don't have secrets from each other."

"So Clark knows who you are?"

"Yes"

"And he trusts you with his secret?"

"Yes"

"Ok," Lois replied before she took a deep breath and asked, "Batman who are you?"

Batman was very quiet in the front of the plane for a while before he answered, "Lois, now is not the time for you to know. Rest assured you will find out once you and I have Clark stable again. Clark is the most important thing right now, not who I am," Batman replied before he spoke under his breath "and Clark doesn't need you going postal right now when you find out."

"Thank you Batman, thank you for finding Clark. Somehow you managed to find him and get him out from where he was and for that I will be eternally grateful to you. I had nearly given up, every angle I chased ended up nowhere and no one could give me the answer," she replied before she took a deep breath and asked Batman to tell her everything he knew and where he found him. "I need to know what happened to him if I am going to help him get through this" she said.

So Batman proceeded to tell Lois how he had searched for and found Clark. He explained how he had snuck in and rescued Clark from the warehouse. He made it very clear to Lois, what they were doing to Clark and what the objective of his abduction had been. He could hear the deep intake of air from Lois and he could almost feel the anger and hatred coming off her as he described it all.

Lois wanted to know who had done this to Clark but that information Batman was keeping to himself. He didn't need a reporter interfering as he exacted his revenge. GRP and the ex-military men were going to find out exactly why the criminals of Gotham were terrified of him. Internally his heart and mind was raging against people who would do this to Clark. Clark who was the most honorable man he had ever met.

As he finished, he saw the pale outline of the sun coming over the horizon he was racing towards. "Lois, you are going to have to put on the oxygen mask that is in front of you. We will be flying into the upper atmosphere, Clark needs to be in unfiltered sunlight to gain the maximum benefit of the sun's rays."

"You seem to know a lot about Clark?"

"There are no secrets between Clark and I," he repeated to her as he attached the oxygen mask that fitted underneath his cowl. He watched as she complied with his request before he gunned the viper into a near vertical climb with the cockpit facing the sun. As the sun rose above the curvature of the earth the viper was bathed in the sun. Clark's body seemed to stretch out as the sun hit him. His body stopped shaking completely and Lois watched amazed as the small cuts started to close up and disappear from his skin.

For five minutes they climbed and the pressure in the cabin combined with the sun's heat started to make Lois feel very uncomfortable. The forces and the weight of Clark's body were making her feel like she wanted to throw up. Then he opened his eyes and stared straight into her eyes. For the barest fraction of a second she felt so happy before he suddenly closed his eyes and started to cringe and shake against her, whispering 'No, no more, don't hurt me anymore, let me die, why did you bring Lois, please, please I will do anything just let her go, why did you bring her here, haven't you hurt me enough?"

"Clark, Clark you are safe, safe do you understand, please Clark listen to me, you are safe, no one has me, I have you," she cried against him, trying desperately to make him understand he was safe. "Batman rescued you Clark, you are here with us now, no one will hurt you I promise you."

"Lois?"

"It's me Clark, I am here,"

"They hurt me so bad Lois, just let me die, I hurt so bad, just let me die I can't cope anymore," he whispered to her.

"Clark Kent, you listen to me right now, I am not going to let you die and you are not leaving me alone, do you hear me, you are going to live and you are going to marry me," the tone of her voice at odds with what she was saying as she tried to get as much love and support into her voice as she could as tears ran down her face.

"They broke me, they broke me and hurt me, I was just a piece of meat to them, and they have broken me Lois. Just let me die, please?"

"NO!" she replied strongly to him, "you are not going to die and you are not broken. No one could break you Clark, you are the strongest man I know and search deep inside yourself and you will see they didn't break you. If they did break you Clark I will help you put yourself together, you are the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with."

Opening his eyes he looked into her eyes as if to search her eyes for the truth. Whatever he saw in there seemed to comfort him as he lifted his head and looked directly into the sun. Lois looked down his body and saw that the only cuts that were still visible but quickly disappearing were the two big ones on his chest and thigh.

"How is he Lois?"

She didn't need to answer Batman as Clark lifted his hand and placed it on Batman's shoulder and squeezed. Batman's hand came up and grabbed Clark's hand and Lois suddenly knew that Batman had been telling the truth about them being strong friends. She watched Clark close his eyes and said in a very emotional tone, "Thank you Batman."

Batman nodded before he pushed the nose of the viper flat. They continued to fly east and let Clark bath in the healing sun.


	31. Gotham Batcave revelation

CHAPTER 35:

Lois was awoken by the sound of water hitting the viper as it flew down a dark tunnel. She could feel Clark's body against her so she wasn't overly concerned but she couldn't resist shuddering as it looked like they were disappearing down into an abyss. Without any warning the viper slowed right down and hovered over a landing pad. Slowly Batman lowered the viper until she felt the wheels of the viper hit the ground.

As Batman completed the shutdown of the viper, Lois looked through the canopy into a deep cave. It certainly didn't look like a welcoming home but in the distance she could see a series of lights that seem to light certain parts of the cave. In one of them she distinctly could see what looked like a science lab. _'This must be where Batman lives,'_ she thought, _'but where exactly is here?'_

Lifting the canopy off them, Batman stepped onto the wing of the plane. He looked down at Lois and Clark and saw that all the horrendous injuries that Clark had suffered seemed to have disappeared. He could only imagine the mental agony that Clark still had to deal with but physically it was hard to tell if anything had happened to him. Reaching down into the plane he gently pushed Clark forward to allow Lois room to slide out from behind him. Lois tried but after being cramped for so long with a heavy weight on top of her she was unable to extradite herself.

"I can't move, you are going to have to lift Clark," she said

Batman leant forward, slid his hands underneath Clark's armpits and slowly pulled him from the plane. Clark was certainly not light and the effort showed on Batman's face as he was struggling to get good leverage. He smiled to himself as Clark's butt was dragged up Lois's chest and face. She was forced to put her hands on his butt and shove, _'not the most dignified exit you will ever have Clark,'_ he thought.

Holding Clark tight, Batman was suddenly aware that Clark was coming around. He bent down and hooked his arm around the back of Clark's legs and shoulders and walked to the end of the wing and stepped off onto the ledge next to the wall. He carried Clark over towards the bed that had been set up for him. _'Good old Albert,'_ he thought before he realized that very soon he was going to have to tell Lois exactly who Batman was _'oh that's going to be fun.'_

He could hear Lois right behind as it was obvious she didn't want to leave Clark for a second. Lying him down on the bed, Batman realized how weak Clark was. Clark was awake but it was clear that he was unable to assist in any meaningful way. "Hey Clark, you finished giving us all heart attacks. You always did have to do everything over the top didn't you?" he grinned at him.

Lois stepped forward and punched Batman in the arm, "leave him alone you dark psycho," she said but the grin on her face took the sting out of her voice as she leant down and kissed Clark. "Hey my beautiful man, I have missed you so much."

Clark looked up at them and tears suddenly appeared in his eyes and rolled down his face. His face slowly crumpled as he started to thank them but shaking her head Lois leant forward and hugged him tight and Batman squeezed Clark's hand and said "Clark you don't have to thank us, I would do anything for you and neither of us would have rested until we had you safe."

"Batman rescued you Clark, he was the one that found you and he was the one that got you out," Lois told him before she leant forward and kissed him again before she continued "and now you are back with me and we will get through this, I promise you."

Clark started to sob and as Lois held him, Batman stepped back and disappeared into the cave to give them privacy. He was still very angry and it was time to start to make the GRP and their minions pay a harsh price. He made an oath that using the entire resources of Wayne Enterprises and Batman he would make them rue the day they tortured one of his friends, _'actually Clark is probably my only real friend,' _he thought.

After a while he heard Clark's sobbing stop and slowly made his way back to them. The picture that greeted him made him smile. Lois had climbed up onto the bed and was snuggled tight against Clark, her leg and arm thrown over his chest and stomach and her face was tight against his neck. His arms were wrapped around her and he was kissing the top of her head.

"Is it safe to come over?" he cheekily asked before striding back into the light.

Lois looked at him and smiled so big, "Batman, I think it will always be safe for you to come over," before grinning "Unless of course I am naked as well."

Clark looked at the pair of them and his eyes darkened and Lois felt his arms start to loosen on her. "What is it Clark? What's wrong?"

"Nothing"

Batman could see what was worrying Clark, so he knew now was the time to get everything into the open. After what Clark had gone through, watching Lois flirt with Batman was distressing him. _'That's because she has no idea who I am,'_ he thought _'and Clark has had to watch Lois and I flirt for months before the both finally admitted their feelings'_

"Lois, I think it is time for you to know who I am under this mask," he said before he brought his hands up to his cowl and slowly lifted it up and over his head. Dropping his hands he looked at her.

Lois was stunned; it was so obvious from the look on her face that for once Lois Lane didn't know what to say. Finally she managed to blurt out "Bruce,"

"Yes"

That was the trigger that woke her up, she took a long look at him and started to berate him over his lack of trust and how could he have kept it from her all this time. Bruce just let it all wash over him as he saw the ever-growing smile on Clark's face. Lois by this time was standing next to the bed with one hand on her hip and the other hand punctuating her verbal attack with finger pointing.

Finally Bruce held his hand up and said "enough, Lois you and I can yell at each other another time, right now we need to get Clark upstairs and into one of the sunniest guest rooms."

Like a switch, Lois shut up, turned around and looked at Clark before she said to Clark "You and I mister, are also going to have a conversation about this."

For the first time in a long time Clark felt real laughter coming up his throat and he allowed it to roll out of his chest before he softly said "God I love you Lois Lane, you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better."


	32. Gotham remembering

CHAPTER 36:

The only image that kept coming to Clark as he looked out the window was of the green edged scalpels as they cut him and the welling of his dark red blood as it fell from his skin. The image felt so real and he could feel every single cut as though it was happening again. They had made no attempt to deaden his skin and they seemed to take a grim pleasure in causing him pain.

The pain he knew he would learn to deal with as human beings had always death with pain but the overwhelming feeling of helplessness and being alone with no possibility of escape except for the very real embrace of death was terrifying.

He was the most powerful being in the known galaxies, yet he had been as helpless as a baby facing a lion in the grips of those men. From the start they had ensured he was never free from the green aura of Kryptonite.

The one time they seemed to have made a mistake and allowed him time to gain back a bit of strength became the cruelest torture of hope. As they arrived back into the room, the two soldiers had smiled grimly at him, before they moved forward and beat him off his feet. He had thrown some punches but in that condition he barely had the strength of a teenage boy and against strong grown men he was a rag doll to be played with.

When the pain and the agony had become too much for his conscious mind to bear he would find himself standing in a world of total inky blackness and in the distance would be a spotlight. The first time he was totally disoriented but he had decided to walk towards the spotlight, as nothing else seemed to make sense. The closer he came to the spotlight he realized it was a person, _'is this death waiting for me,'_ he thought and stopped walking _'I am not ready to die'_. On the smallest gust of wind he heard someone call his name before he was dragged back to the pain and agony of reality.

The next time it happened he decided to move forward until he could see the person clearly. When he saw it was Lois he ran the rest of the way as she opened her arms and hugged him tightly to her. She never said anything but to him she was salvation and a reason to survive. The visits to her became more and more frequent as his body deteriorated and he was in a permanent state of agony.

The occasion when they had cut him open, lengthwise down his chest, and peeled back his skin so they could take samples from all his internal organs was the time when Lois had brought him back from the dead.

The pain had been so unbearable he had disappeared deep inside himself. This time instead of the welcoming spotlight of Lois in the blackness there had been a sea of grey. He looked down and saw his disfigured broken body was now in a perfect state and heard a clarion call from behind him. He turned and saw a line of people as they walked towards a light in the far distance that was so bright it was turning the darkness to grey.

"Come forward my son, your time of trial is over," he heard and taking the first step towards the distance his body started to move in time with all the other people moving towards the light. He looked into the faces of the people as they walked and he saw that they all looked so peaceful and never removed their eyes from the light. He seemed to be the only person who was looking around and trying to take it all in. Every-time he looked directly at the light he had to fight to remove his eyes from it. It seemed so easy to just look at it and move forward.

He found himself walking next to a man who seemed to be studying him. Turning his head Clark looked straight at the man and had a feeling he knew this man. The man stopped and Clark turned to face him. The people moving forward started to flow around them; like a moving stream making its way past a rock that suddenly appeared.

Looking into his eyes, Clark could clearly hear his voice in his head "Why do you look around and for what do you search?"

"I don't know" Clark replied, amazed that they were communicated telepathically.

"Do you know what this place is?"

"No, I was expecting to be somewhere else and found myself here," Clark replied before he thought for a moment and as a realization came to him asked, "Am I dead?"

"Yes," the man replied simply before continuing, "Clark you died on that table but you have a choice as your destiny has not been fulfilled."

"What is my choice?"

"You can move forward into the light or you can go back."

Clark stood there looking at the man. He thought of the pain and agony that was waiting for him and how the world continually seemed to question him and his motives. It would be so easy to quit and just let it all end. Without bidding an image of Lois smiling at him came into his mind and he knew he couldn't leave her. She was the reason to live as seeing her smile at him was like basking in the sun.

"I will go back"

The man smiled at him and placed a comforting hand on his arm and Clark had slammed back into the world of agony and pain.

"He's back with us."

That was all he heard before he found himself once again in the inky blackness and being held by Lois.

The next couple of days had been the most torturous of all. His body had continually tried to shut down and his mind had fought so hard to keep him alive. Then he had woken up hearing and feeling Lois. His world came crashing down, he knew they had captured her and this was the last straw. If he were dead then they would have no reason to keep her and they wouldn't be able to use her to hurt him.

Slowly he had listened to her talking and he hung on to her words like a dying man hanging on by his fingernails overhanging a cliff.


	33. Gotham breaking through

CHAPTER 37:

Over the last week he had recovered all his strength and abilities but mentally he was a complete shell. Every time anyone tried to touch him he would flinch and see the distress on their face.

Standing there looking out the window he heard her enter the room behind him. He took a deep breath through his nose and smelt the beautiful scent that he associated with her. She smelt of sandalwood, peach and a unique fragrance that was all Lois.

She walked up to him and put her hand on his arm, the hurt he saw on Lois's face when he flinched slightly away from her touch made him angry with himself. Misreading the hurt on her face he started to turn away from her saying "Lois, I'm sorry." But this time she was ready for him.

"Clark, don't turn away from me, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Lois, I see the pain I am causing you."

"Clark, I am not hurt about you moving away from me, I am hurt that someone would cause you to be like this. You and I will get through this but it will take time and we have time."

"You aren't angry?"

"No Clark, I am not angry. The people I am angry with are the men who did this to you. You have always been the kindest most giving man and they have stolen some of your innocence and for that I am angry, never at you my darling man," she smiled at him.

He smiled back at her and he reached out to take her hand in his hand. Squeezing her hand gently he tried to stop the shivers that racked his body every time he felt contact.

"Clark come to bed with me," she said as she kept holding his hand. She had an idea but she wasn't going to push him. He had spent the last week sleeping in a bed alone, as he had half knocked her out when he had panicked during the night when she had touched him.

He looked at her for quite a while, she refused to fidget under his gaze, and finally he said "ok."

Holding his hand Lois, lead them back to her room. She knew that her idea had the capacity to totally blow up in her face but she had to give it a go, as Clark was hurting so bad.

Without seeming to be aware of Clark, Lois started getting ready for bed, he, as per usual, had changed quickly and was in bed wearing shorts and t-shirt. Knowing that he was watching her, Lois slowly took off each item of clothing but kept talking to him the whole time. When she was just in her underwear she started to brush her hair standing in front of the mirror. Running her fingers through her hair and slightly pushing her butt back, she leant forward as if to check the state of her hair.

In the mirror she finally saw the look of lust that Clark got around her _'well at least that is still working, now easy girl, he is like a wild horse, don't go scaring the hell out of him, like taming a wild animal, make them get really excited,'_ she grinned to herself. Keeping up the chatter she kept talking to him but now she was arching her back a bit and leaning forward to check something in her teeth. One second he was on the bed the next second he was right behind her with his hands on her hips, _'crap he is quick, easy girl don't move, god I want to kiss him, hell girl, don't beat around the bush you want him to shag you senseless.'_

Lois kept talking and pretended to not feel Clark's big, warm, soft hands holding her hips or his groin pressed up against her butt. When he leant down and kissed the side of her neck, she was torn as she wanted to attack him but she had to let him totally control this. His big hands came up onto her shoulders and started to stroke her, it was like his hands were relearning how to touch as he was at once in control yet unsure. He stopped moving completely when she couldn't resist the urge to squeeze her butt back against him and she forced herself to stop moving.

His big thumbs started to rub her neck and back muscles and she couldn't stop the groan of pleasure from leaving your mouth. Her hands gripped the back of the chair tightly as her body desperately wanted to respond. She closed her eyes and bit down on her need to groan her pleasure back at him. Just before it became too much for her he whispered "Lois, touch me."

Without saying anything she turned and looked at him. Without taking her eyes off his eyes she started to stroke his skin _'easy girl, slow down, let him get used to it bit by bit,' _she thought as she stopped moving her hands whenever he flinched. Slowly the flinches became less and less and they started to find their old rhythm. She let him lead, as she knew he had to be in control of their physical intimacy as he had been so powerless during his captivity. She could kill the men who did this and she knew she would feel no compunction doing it. _'He is like a rape victim, who thought Superman could be raped, but that is what they did to him,_ she thought. They spent the rest of the night reconnecting on a physical level.

Waking up in the morning Lois was slightly bruised and battered as Clark had become incredibly physical the last time they made love. She had welcomed it, as it was a threshold Clark had to overcome to finally remove his demons when it came to touching her. She knew that accepting touches from others would not be so easy to overcome but not many people wanted to touch Superman or Clark Kent for that matter and that suited her fine.

It was a start . . .


	34. Gotham The Return

Lois was enthralled. Watching Bruce and Clark spar was truly an eye-opening experience for her. Clark was not using his powers and they were very evenly matched. Bruce has stopped trying to hit Clark and was now attempting to trip him up instead. On the other hand Clark was trying to hit Bruce. To her it looked like a very intricate dance with Clark continually moving and sliding to avoid the tripping blow and Bruce flowing out of the hitting arcs of Clark's heavy blows.

She found she was holding her breath every time Clark looked like he was going to stumble. It had been three weeks since Bruce had rescued him and she was finding it hard to let go the worry and stress. Clark didn't talk about it but sometimes in the middle of the night she woke up to find him holding her tight and moaning in his sleep. She would have to lie still and use her hands to stroke him back into slumber.

Clark still hadn't taken on the persona of Superman since that time and she knew the world was hollering out to know what had happened to their hero. Here at the Wayne Manor it was easy to ignore the outside world but she had been fielding phone calls from Perry, Chloe and various other people enquiring when she was coming back to work. She found it sad that apart from Perry no one seemed to want to know when Clark was coming back. She had asked Perry if he seemed concerned about Clark's disappearance and his reply was simple, that Clark was probably chasing a world-exclusive story and would surface in due course.

She laughed as Clark was tripped and Bruce's triumphant smile was wiped off his face as Clark's staff poked him hard in the stomach. They both looked at each other and a silent agreement to cease passed between them.

The comparison between them was interesting to Lois. They were both big, incredibly fit men but the differences clearly showed that one was a superbly fit human and the other was something quite different.

Bruce's chest and face was drenched in sweat and he was breathing considerably harder than normal. His muscles looked like they had been achieved with very hard work and looked hard and pumped. Clark on the other hand was barely breathing and he had no visible sweat beads coating his skin. His muscles were a perfect symmetry and looked as natural as him breathing. It was like comparing an athlete and a body builder, one looked natural and the other looked like it had come about through hard work.

'_God they are both hot but Clark is just surreal, I should take him to the beach and let everyone droll over him, score one for me, Yay, I want to shag him right now, mmm wonder what a threesome with those boys would be like, imagine the world finding out about that, "My night with Batman and Superman", Geez girl put your naughty thoughts away, Clark would be horrified to hear that, yeah but Bruce might be into that,'_ she grinned to herself.

"What are you smiling at sexy," Bruce asked as he walked over towards the towels.

"Ah nothing,"

"Whatever, I know you and that is the saucy look you get on your face when you are thinking naughty thoughts," Bruce replied with a grin.

Lois realized they had easily slipped back into teasing flirtatious ways and she quickly looked at Clark to see how he was taking it. To her relief his body posture seemed unconcerned as he put away his fighting staff. She watched him as he turned and saw that in his eyes he wasn't comfortable with it but he trusted her. Under her breath she said, "I love you Clark," before saying out loud to Bruce "What's the plan for the rest of the day?"

"What is it Clark?" Bruce asked as he looked past Lois's shoulder.

Lois turned to see that Clark has his head slightly cocked and she knew that he was listening to something. She was coming to know that look so well, head slightly cocked, eyes unfocussed, body still, and a very intent look on his face. She held her breath as she waited for him to answer.

"Flood in Southern China," he replied simply.

She knew it was the moment when Clark had to make a conscious choice. Bruce came up to her side and held her hand as they both watched Clark. Neither of them said anything knowing that it was his choice alone. The scarring he had received from his captors had inflicted deep mental and physical injuries and the steps forward had been long and tortuous for all of them.

"I have to go," he simply said.

Her face burst into a big smile and she ran forward and hugged him, "I love you Clark, now go."

He grinned back at her, stepped back out of her arms and disappeared before appearing back in front of them in his suit. _'fuck he's so friggin hot,'_ she moaned to herself before he flew right up into her face, kissed her hard and said "See you soon sexy," before he disappeared out the door.

"That even impressed me," she heard Bruce grumble from behind her.

She turned and smiled at him. "I was so worried he wasn't going to make that choice, for a moment there I thought he was going to shrug it off and not go," she said.

"Clark will always do what he has to do to save people, my concern is he needs to realize that not everyone can be trusted," he said before his face became grave and he continued, "Lois, you and I are going to have to keep an eye out for him. He needs to be protected from himself. You are going to have to be there whenever he is hurt and pull him back. He needs to keep his faith in humanity, as it is a core part of who he is. God help us if he ever decided to either leave us to our own devices or decide we needed to be taught a lesson."

Lois could only look at Bruce and wonder what would he do to Clark if that happened and she couldn't stop a shudder running through her body.


	35. Metropolis the toll

CHAPTER 40:

Superman was back and the world was happy. To Lois it wasn't that simple. She would wake up to find him standing outside their room on the balcony. The first time she saw him standing there he reminded her of an immovable island in the blackness of the night. She stayed in their bed for a while to see what he would do. Finally, she got up and went to see what was going on.

Walking up to his side she had placed her hand on his arm, which was as tense as a spring, and said, "Clark?"

He didn't say anything but he turned his face to look at her and she was shocked to see tears pooling in his eyes. "Oh baby, what is it, talk to me."

Slowly he started to talk, he told her about the people he had been unable to save due to not getting there in time. He talked about the frustration and anger he saw from the people left behind and he talked about how badly he felt letting them down.

She started to tell him that it wasn't his fault, but he shook his head saying, "I know it isn't my fault but I need to share this or it will curdle inside me." So she had listened, she had stood there holding his hand and listened. Finally he had slid his arms around her and hugged her before he picked her up and took her back to their bed and made love to her.

Since that day the scene had been repeated over and over. She had wanted him to share what was going on but she was starting to find it extremely upsetting and difficult to cope. She loved him more than she could ever imagine loving anyone but to share the pain of Superman was nearly more than she or any human could cope with.

The transference of Superman to Clark Kent was taking a toll on her emotions that she never expected. Clark would fall asleep easily and then wake up the next morning as enthusiastic as ever to face the day. She on the other hand would struggle to sleep thinking about what he had shared with her and the pain she knew he was under. She would cuddle tight to him and wonder to whom she could talk.

She couldn't talk to Clark about this as he would find out about the toll on her and would start to internalize it all again and she certainly couldn't share it with anyone else as they would find out about Clark.

After weeks of lack of sleep and forcing herself to stay strong for Clark she knew that she had to share this with someone. Finally she took courage and rang Bruce and asked if she could meet him to discuss a personal issue.

Since she had found out that Bruce was Batman she had found herself becoming very close to Bruce. The three of them, plus two alter egos, had worked seamlessly together to close down and destroy GRP and she had seen a totally different side to Bruce than the one she knew. Once she knew about his alter ego, Bruce was able to be Bruce Wayne and not Playboy Bruce Wayne around her. Lois had come to see that he was a quite incredible and remarkable man.

The relationship between Bruce and Clark was based on mutual trust and respect. The fact that someone with the awesome power and majesty of Clark could find another man that he could totally be himself with was remarkable to her. Bruce had honed and developed his mental and physical prowesses until he became the very best human being he could be. That aspect of Bruce rubbed off on Clark. As remarkable as Clark was, she would find him at times continually striving to be better. Bruce was good for Clark she decided.

She felt she was so lucky to watch and be part of the ultimate alpha male relationship. If anyone understood what she was going through with Clark then Bruce would.

Walking into the restaurant she saw Bruce sitting at a table in the corner. It was a secluded and quiet corner of the restaurant and she appreciated the fact that Bruce had picked up her vibes that she wanted this conversation to remain very private.


	36. Metropolis sharing and a bad view

CHAPTER 41:

Walking across the restaurant towards Bruce, Lois could see the admiring looks that were being thrown at Bruce and she smiled to herself before she caught the look on a cute guy who was definitely giving her the eye. Glaring at the man she quickly walked and sat down opposite Bruce.

"Why do I get the feeling that we are doing something wrong?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Come on Lois, we are doing nothing wrong, we have done this a hundred times before," Bruce replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"I know Bruce, but I didn't tell Clark I was coming to talk to you and for some reason I get a feeling we are doing something wrong."

"We can go somewhere else if you want?" he replied before he smiled and whispered "plus Clark can hear anything so he probably knows we are having lunch."

"You're right," she grinned at him before she leant back and caught the waiter's eye. When the waiter arrived Lois ordered a bottle of Montana Sauvignon Blanc and Bruce ordered a double bourdon and dry.

Looking across the table at Bruce she knew that she was still attracted to him on a physical level. His calmness and sense of self was a powerful attraction and he was a seriously commanding presence when he wasn't playing up the playboy aspect of himself.

'_What is it with you Lane, you have the most powerful man in the galaxies hot for you and you sit here and think how sexy Bruce is. Hehe for a woman that people used to think was an ice princess you certainly have how some of the hottest guys running around. Yay for me.' _She thought before she realized that Bruce had asked her a question.

"Sorry my mind was a million miles away, what did you say?" she asked with an abashed look on her face.

"I asked, so what did you want to talk about?"

"I am not sure how to start this but I have no one else to turn to who would understand everything. It's Clark . . ."

Lois proceeded to tell him about the feelings she was currently going through with Clark. Bruce was the perfect person to talk to as he let her just talk about the toll it was having on her and how she was being greatly affected.

Over the next couple of hours, Lois poured her heart out to Bruce. Along the way they polished off a couple of bottles of wine and she found herself sitting besides Bruce on the bench seat laughing loudly.

He had made her realize that it wasn't her role to take on what Clark was sharing with her but to know that in sharing all she had to do was listen, not try and make it better. Slowly he had made her see that Clark chose to share his pain with her, he wasn't trying to burden her with it and she should see it as a huge vote of confident in her. If anyone was to know what Clark was going through it would be Bruce and he found himself being envious of the bond Lois and Clark shared.

She had felt Bruce's loneliness when he had spoken aloud his wish to have someone to share his burden with and couldn't resist saying to him "you didn't share it with me when we were together Bruce."

Softly he replied, "I wish I had, I now know that you would have coped, I was scared of losing you."

Lois was shocked and didn't know what to say to that. Bruce had never been so open in regards to his feeling previously.

"Bruce all you had to do with me was open up and share with me. You should have given me the chance to decide what I wanted. You are so important to me and I don't know how I could have survived all this without you." She said as she took hold of his hand and squeezed.

He looked down into her face and his other hand came up and stroked her face before he lent down and gently kissed her. For a second Lois moaned under his lips before she put her hand on his chest and pushed him back gently saying, "Bruce we can't."

"I know, Clark needs you more than I do, I get that."

"No Bruce, it isn't need, I love Clark, I love him more than I could ever imagine loving anyone. I don't deny I am immensely physically attracted to you but Clark completes me in a way I never thought possible."

Bruce dropped his forehead down onto hers and replied, "In my life, I have never been jealous of anything another person has, but right now I am jealous that Clark gets to have you and I have to accept only friendship from you."

"I'm sorry Bruce, you have to accept it. My life with Clark is where I want and need to be. As hard as sharing that life is with him, I would rather suffer the pain and be with him than half live my life without him."

Lifting his forehead off hers Bruce's eye widened as he saw Clark standing in the door of the restaurant looking at them, _'oh shit'_ he thought before he said "It isn't me you should be telling this to, it should be the man standing over there who looks like he wants to kill me right now," he replied to her.

Lois whipped her head around and wished she hadn't when the look on Clarks face coupled with the amount of wine she had drunk caused her to feel dizzy.

Clark didn't look happy at all to see Bruce draped all over Lois. To him it was pretty obvious that something serious had been going on. The picture he was faced with was his best friend and the woman he loved draped over each other in a quite intimate pose.

He had heard Lois's heart speed up and he had flown over as quickly as he could to see that she was safe. He refused to listen in on her private conversations, as in his mind it was the height of bad manners so all he had to go on was what he could see. To say he was angry was to put it mildly, but he knew he had to give them a chance to explain, just not right now, right now he had to leave before he tore the restaurant down around their ears.

Looking at them angrily, he quietly said "We will talk about this later," and left.

"Shit . . .," they both said as Clark disappeared.

_Please review . . . There will be one more chapter after this._


	37. Metropolis How it ends

_Sorry it's taken so long to finish, work and spending time at sporting events around the world has impacted on my writing time. This story has been a hell of a ride and I think everyone of you for reading and enjoying my writing._

_M._

He floated in the vacuum of space and looked down upon what seemed to be a peaceful world. His pain had been released as he screamed her name across the darkened cosmos. How the world hadn't felt his heartfelt screams he would never know.

The view of Bruce and Lois had taken him back to when he was a teenager and he had walked in on Oliver and Lois. The same feelings were back as if he had never grown up. How this woman had the capacity to hurt and cripple him.

"_Is this worth it?" _he thought_ "Her touch makes me feel alive and she loves me but the sight of her with someone else just drives me insane. I know that nothing is going on with Bruce but how easily can she affect me and make me feel so vulnerable and small."_

For the first time in many years he heard the call of sirens and ignored them. He heard the call that he had come to accept as his signature "Superman, help me" and choose to ignore it. He opened his hearing up to the world and he listened to all the people who wanted his help and once again he wondered,_ "who is there to help me, who cares about me."_

Lois, it always came back to Lois, what choice did he have, he could choose to cut her from his life or he could choose to open himself up to everything that entailed. In the end he knew it became a very basic choice. He could either live his life outside and alone or he could choose to live with the pain of loving someone like Lois.

"_Pretty poor choice,"_ he thought, _"what ever happened to having some choices that were at least palatable. I want to keep her safe and protected and in doing that I will kill her love for me. I have to trust and let her live her life as she chooses without any restrictions and in doing so allow her choices to hurt me. If I don't then the light in my life will fall away and slowly I will drown in the darkness and my soul will no longer be nourished. Bloody hell what a crappy choice. It's no choice, no matter what you think, it's no choice and you know it. Now how do we make this right?"_ he wondered.

The knock at the door startled Lois and she quickly raced to the door, saying his name under her breath. Opening the door quickly she was surprised to see no one there. Stepping forward into the hallway she jumped slightly as her foot came into contact with a bunch of white lilies. Quickly leaning down she picked up the flowers and looked for a card.

_Dear Lois_

_I have walked as though there was no road_

_Of which I'd take to turn_

_You have held my hands, which were so cold_

_You have known that I have had to run_

_I struggle to trust I struggle to see_

_The pain inside me is left from my past_

_The foolish me who could not forget_

_Forget is not fast but time is now healed_

_A little smile, your lovely eyes_

_You took it all to understand_

_My foolish moods, my silly broods_

_You gazed and took my hand_

_Another smile, another laugh_

_Chances, they are a few_

_I take the road, I take the turn_

_and there's no one there but you_

_I love you Lois Lane_

_You are the one true road for me_

_My past pain is that, past_

_Your smile light up the signposts of my road_

_You let me run when I must_

_The chances I need to take_

_Are not risks when the road ahead_

_Is shining in your love_

_Will you mar­ry me?_

_Clark_

"Oh God, Clark, yes!" she yelled into the air, "Yes! Yes! Yes! I will marry you". With a huge smile she saw him appear in front of her.

THE END


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